Leonid Kravchuk, independent Ukraine's first president, dies at 88

FILE PHOTO: Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk addresses deputies during a session of parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 29, 2014. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo

KYIV (Reuters) - Leonid Kravchuk, a former communist who helped signed the Soviet Union's death warrant and then served as the first president of independent Ukraine, has died at the age of 88, a senior official said on Tuesday.

"It is sad news and a great loss," said Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.