KIEV, Aug. 17 - Yevhen Kushnariov, a former governor of the Kharkiv region and a key ally of former President Leonid Kuchma, was Wednesday detained by law enforcement for alleged abuse of power, officials said.

Kushnariov led a group of regional officials who pushed for splitting Ukraine into several pieces after thousands of Ukrainians protested massive fraud during the presidential election in November 2004.