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Donetsk People's Republic Донецкая Народная Республика (Russian) Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika Донецька Народна Республіка (Ukrainian) Donets'ka Narodna Respublika
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Vstavay, Donbass! on YouTube Template:Ru icon "Arise, Donbass!"
Territory claimed on 12 May 2014 (in light green) and currently occupied (dark green) by the Donetsk People's RepublicTerritory claimed on 12 May 2014 (in light green) and currently occupied (dark green) by the Donetsk People's Republic
Capitaland largest city	Donetsk
Official languages	Russian Ukrainian
Ethnic groups	Russians Ukrainians
Religion	Russian Orthodox (official)
Government	Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic
• Head	Alexander Zakharchenko
• Prime Minister	Alexander Zakharchenko
• Chairman of the People's Soviet	Andrei Purguin
Legislature	People's Soviet
Independence from Ukraine
• Declared	7 April 2014
• Referendum	11 May 2014
• Referendum ratified	12 May 2014
• Agreement to form a confederation with the Lugansk People's Republic signed	24 May 2014
Currency	Ukrainian hryvnia Russian ruble (proposed) Donetsk ruble (proposed)
Time zone	UTC+3 (Moscow Time)
Drives on	Right

The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR or DNR) (Template:Lang-ru, Donétskaya naródnaya respúblika, Template:Lang-uk, Donets'ka narodna respublika) is a self-proclaimed state in eastern Ukraine. It is also a constituent state of the self-proclaimed Federal State of Novorossiya (New Russia). The entity was declared on 7 April 2014 by a number of activists who at the time occupied the Regional Administration and the City Hall buildings in Donetsk. Occupation of government buildings then spread to other cities in the region.

The self-proclaimed state's activities are headed by the Donetsk Republic organization, a group which has been banned in Ukraine since 2007, and on 16 May 2014, the Republic as a whole was classified as a terrorist organization by the state. The Donetsk People's Republic has been recognized only by the Republic of South Ossetia, on 27 June 2014. On 15 April, the interim government in Kiev announced a military counteroffensive to confront the pro-Russian militants, and on 17 April, tensions de-escalated as Russia, the US, and the EU agreed on a roadmap to defuse the Ukraine crisis. However, officials of the People's Republic ignored the agreement and vowed to continue their occupations until a referendum is accepted or the government in Kiev resigns. Since the agreement, the Security Service of Ukraine continued to detain Russians entering the country with large amounts of money and military gear.

On 11 May, status referendums were held in Donetsk and Lugansk, where separatist leaders claimed that a vast majority of participants voted in support of the establishment of the People's Republics. On 24 May, the two separatist republics signed an agreement confirming their merger into a confederation called the Federal State of Novorossiya. Between April and July 2014 some parts of Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast were brought under the control of the Donetsk People's Republic; however the Armed Forces of Ukraine regained many of these areas in its early July 2014 post-ceasefire government offensive during the War in Donbass. This offensive led to the Donetsk People's Republic only controlling the areas near to the city of Donetsk. In the pro-Russian forces August 2014 counter-offensive the Donetsk People's Republic with the help of Russian troops and arms gained territory again. Although the rebels do not have control of most of Donetsk Oblast, over 50% of the total oblast population still live under separatist rule since the DPR has been controlling major urban areas and cities like Donetsk and Horlivka. According to recent rebel estimates, which is roughly in line with Kiev's, around 1,870,000 people currently live in this breakaway state.

Background

According to Lucian Kim of Slate, " ... the Maidan protest, characterized by the Kremlin as a Western-sponsored armed coup, is being crudely imitated in towns across the Donetsk region. “If the guys on the Maidan could revolt, why can’t we?” has been the pro-Russian supporters’ motto ... ".

Similar attempts to seize the Regional State Administration (RSA) building have been occurring since pro-Russian protests began in the Eastern and Southern regions of Ukraine in the wake of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. Pro-Russian protesters previously occupied the Donetsk RSA from 1 to 6 March, before being removed by the Security Service of Ukraine. According to Ukrainian authorities the seizure of RSA's are part of "a script which has been written in the Russian Federation" to destabilize Ukraine and bring in Russian troops executed by "about 1,500 radicals in each region who spoke with clear Russian accents".

Regional public opinion

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In a poll conducted by Kiev International Institute of Sociology in the first half of February 2014, 33.2% of polled in Donetsk Oblast believed "Ukraine and Russia must unite into a single state".

According to a poll conducted by the Institute of Social Research and Policy Analysis, 66% of Donetsk residents view their future in a united Ukraine, 4.7% support separatism, while 18.2% support joining Russia, while 31.6% wanted a united Ukraine with expansion of autonomy for Donetsk region, with only 18.6% in support of current status A second poll conducted 26–29 March showed that 77% of residents condemned the takeover of administrative buildings, while 16% support such actions. Furthermore, 40.8% of Donetsk citizens support rallies for Ukraine's unity, while 26.5% support rallies which are pro-Russia.

While support for regional independence is low, only a third of polled Donetsk inhabitants identified themselves as "citizens of Ukraine", preferring instead "Russian-speaking residents of Ukraine" or "residents of Donbass".

The New York Times stated on 11 April 2014 that many locals consider it a 'crackpot project'.

The Kiev International Institute of Sociology released a second study with polling data taken from 8–16 April. 18.1% of Donetsk oblast residents support the recent armed seizures of administrative buildings in the region, while 72% disapprove of the current actions. Roughly 25% in the Donbas region said they would attend secessionist rallies in favor of joining Russia. Most in Donetsk believe that the disarmament and disbanding of illegal radical groups is crucial to preserving national unity. 12.4% are in favor of Ukraine and Russia uniting into a single state, ; 27.5% in Donetsk were in favor of regional secession from Ukraine to join Russia, 38.4% support federalization, 41.1% support a unitary Ukraine with decentralization of power and broadening of rights of regions, and 10.6% support the current unitary state.

Demands

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According to the Kyiv Post, a number of militants in a standoff with police in Mariupol demand the abolition of biometric passports and an end to vaccinations.

Denis Pushilin, the self-proclaimed chairman of the republic stated that he does not envision Donetsk People's Republic becoming an independence state, instead preferring to join a renewed Russian Empire.

11 May autonomy referendum

On 7 May, separatist rebels in Donetsk and Luhansk said that they will proceed with the referendum that will be held 11 May, disregarding Vladimir Putin's appeal to delay it. "The referendum will take place as planned. The ballots have been already arrived at the polling stations," said Vasily Nikitin, from the press service which is organizing the referendum in Luhansk.

The referendum organizers claimed that 89% voted in favor of self-rule, with 10% against, on a turnout of nearly 75%. The results of the referendums were not officially recognised by any government, including those of Ukraine, the United States, the countries of the European Union, and Russia. Germany and the United States stated that the referendums had "no democratic legitimacy", while the Russian government expressed "respect" for the results and urged a "civilised" implementation.

On the day after the referendum, the Republic's council proclaimed Donetsk to be a sovereign state and "ask Russia to consider the issue of our republic's accession into the Russian Federation." It also announced that it will not participate in the presidential election to take place on 25 May. In response, "the Kremlin called for dialogue between the government in Kiev and the south-east regions of the country, suggesting that a Crimea-style annexation of the region for Moscow is not on the cards."

History

Foundations

On Sunday, 6 April 2014, between 1,000 and 2,000 pro-Russian protesters attended a rally in Donetsk pushing for a Crimea-style referendum on independence from Ukraine. It was claimed by Ukrainian media that the proposed referendum has no status-quo option. After which, 200 separatists (according to Igor Dyomin, a spokesman for Donetsk local police, about 1,000) pro-Russian protesters stormed and took control of the first two floors of the building, breaking down doors and smashing windows. The administration headquarters were empty, with only guards inside, as government officials would not work there on Sundays. The separatists demanded that if an extraordinary session was not held by officials, announcing a referendum to join Russia, they would declare unilateral control by forming a "People's Mandate" at noon on 7 April, and dismiss all elected council members and MPs. The people who voted within the RSA were not elected to the positions they assumed. According to the Russian ITAR-TASS the declaration was voted by some regional legislators; however, there are claims that neither the Donetsk city council nor district councils of the city delegated any representatives to the session.

On 6 April, the group's leaders announced that a referendum, on whether Donetsk Oblast should "join the Russian Federation", would take place "no later than May 11th, 2014." Additionally, the group's leaders have appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to send Russian peacekeeping forces to the region.

On the morning of 8 April, the 'Patriotic Forces of Donbass', a pro-Kiev group that was formed on 15 March earlier that year by 13 pro-Kyiv NGOs, political parties and individuals, unrelated to Donetsk Republic organization who proclaimed independence and seized the council, issued a statement on its Facebook page, "cancelling" the other group's declaration of independence, citing complaints from locals, a move that was generally interpreted by Ukrainian media as coming from the pro-Russian party. Their announcement stated that they would quash the potential state's establishment, cancel the referendum, and, on their part, stated that the declaration is illegal. Protesters reportedly gave up some weapons too. Despite this, the Donetsk Republic organization continued to occupy the RSA and declared themselves the legitimate authority, and upheld all previous calls for a referendum and the release of their leader Pavel Gubarev. In the afternoon of 8 April, about a thousand people rallied in front of the RSA listening to speeches about the Donetsk People's Republic and to Soviet and Russian music.

According to an article from the Kyiv Post on 10 April, most of the protesters are 50 years or older, while inside the RSA building, many of the occupiers are younger but from other cities like Mariupol, Kherson and Mykolaiv. The occupiers include both men and women. According to "Novosti Donbassa", unstated number of Russian citizens, including one leader of a far-right militant group, have also taken part in the events. The OSCE reported that all the main institutions of the city observed by the Monitoring Team seemed to be working normally as of 16 April. On 22 April, separatists agreed to release the session hall of the building along with two floors to state officials. The 9th and 10th floors were later released on 24 April.

On the second day of the Republic, organizers decided to pour all of their alcohol out and announce a prohibition law after issues arose due to excess drinking in the building.

On 30 April, Donetsk Republic chairman Pushilin flew to Moscow and held a press conference.

On 7 May, Russian president Vladimir Putin publicly asked pro-Russian separatists to postpone the proposed referendum in order to create the necessary conditions for dialogue. Despite Putin's comments, pro-Russia militants calling themselves the Donetsk People's Republic said they would still carry out the referendum. The same day, Ukraine's security service (SBU) released an alleged audio recording of a phone call between a Donetsk separatist leader and leader of one of the splinter groups of former Russian National Unity Alexander Barkashov. Barkashov's following is believed to be in sharp decline since the beginning of 2000s. In the call, the voice said to be Barkashov insists on falsifying the results of the referendum, that he had communicated with Putin, and that it cannot be postponed. Yuri Vendik of the BBC noted that a 5 May post on Barkashov's social media page recounted a phone call from "our brothers and comrades-in-arms in Donetsk" that sounds exactly like the SBU intercept. Barkashov later confirmed that he was in Donetsk during the alleged taping, and has stated his group is organizing volunteer troops to fight "the vicious Kiev junta." SBU stated that this tape is a definitive proof of the direct involvement of Russian government with preparations for the referendum.

Ukrainian authorities released separatist leader Pavel Gubarev and two others in exchange for three hostages being held by the Donetsk Republic.

Expansion of territorial control

An insurgency expanding the control of the Donetsk People's Republic has spread throughout Donetsk Oblast.

From April to July 2014 the unrecognized republic controlled most of Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast stretching south from the city of Mariupol on the Azov Sea north to Sviatohirsk and Sloviansk near the border with Kharkiv Oblast. However, much of this territory has been brought under control of the Government of Ukraine and the area under the control of the rebels has been mainly reduced to Donetsk city. Armed Forces of Ukraine took control of Mariupol early in the conflict and it now serves as the capital of Donetsk Oblast due to the ongoing conflict between Government and Separatist factions.

On 1 September 2014, DPR rebels announced that they would respect Ukraine’s sovereignty in exchange for autonomy. But they withdrew this offer a few days later.

Politics

Politics of the Donetsk People's Republic
Legislature People's Council Chairman: Andrei Purgin
Elections Central Election Commission 2014 elections Chief executive: 2014 Parliamentary: 2014 Referendums: 2014 2018 elections Political parties
Foreign policy Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Alexander Kofman Foreign relations Russia South Ossetia International recognition Minsk agreements
See also Russian nationalism War in Donbas Eastern Ukraine campaign
v t e

Government

Early April 2014 a Donetsk People's Council was formed out of protesters who occupied the building of the Donetsk Regional Council on 6 April 2014.

The first full Government of the Donetsk People's Republic was appointed on 16 May 2014. It consisted of several ministers who were previously Donetsk functionaries, a member of the Makiivka City Council, a former Donetsk prosecutor, a former member of the special police Alpha Group, a member of the Party of Regions (who allegedly coordinated "Titushky" (pro-Viktor Yanukovych hooligans) during Euromaidan) and Russian citizens. The system of government is described by its deputy defense minister Fyodor Berezin as aiming to build as military communism.

Current distribution of posts

On 12 November 2014 Head of the Donetsk People's Republic Aleksandr Zakharchenko decreed that the following people are members of the Council of Ministers.

• Head: Aleksandr Zakharchenko
• Prime Minister: Aleksandr Zakharchenko
• Deputy Prime Minister: Alexander Borodai
• Minister of Defence: Vladimir Kononov
• Minister of Justice: Ekaterina Philippi
• Minister of Income and Fees: Alexander Timofeeva
• Minister of Construction: Vasily Yakovlevich
• Minister of Education and Science: Igor Kostenko
• Minister of Youth, Sports and Tourism: Mikhail Mishin
• Minister of Transport: Semyon Kuzmenko
• Minister of Labour and Social Policy: Olga Malinovsky
• Minister of Finances: Katerina Matyushchenko
• Minister of Emergencies: Alexei Kostrubitskogo
• Minister of State Security: Andrey Pinchuk Jurevicha
• Minister of Interior: Oleg Birches
• Minister of Foreign Affairs: Alexander Kofman{
• Minister of Communication: Victor Yatsenko
• Minister of Economic Development: Eugene Viktorovnu Samokhin

Legislature

The parliament of the Donetsk People's Republic is the People's Soviet (the same name as the parliament of the Soviet Union) and has 100 deputies.

Elections

Parliamentary elections of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics are scheduled to be held on 2 November 2014. People of at least 30 years old who "permanently resided" in Donetsk People's Republic the last 10 years are electable for four years and may be nominated by public organizations. Ukraine has urged Russia to use its influence to stop the election "to avoid a frozen conflict". The European Union will not recognize the elections. Russia on the other hand has indicated it "will of course recognise the results of the election"; Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the election "will be important to legitimise the authorities there". Ukraine held the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election on 26 October 2014; these were boycotted by the Donetsk People's Republic and hence voting for it did not take place in Ukraine's eastern districts controlled by forces loyal to the Donetsk People's Republic. Russia's foreign minister stated that the Russian Federation will respect the election; however, it was clarified that while the Russian Federation respects the election it does not mean that Russia is planning on recognizing the results.

Political parties

The first and so far only political party in the DNR is Communist Party of the Donetsk People's Republic. The Communists have endorsed Prime Minister Alexander Zakharchenko’s candidature at the 2 November elections for premiership. In these elections the Communists were banned from participating because it "made too many mistakes" in its submitted documents.

In Donbass general elections, 2014, Donetsk Republic party gained a majority in Supreme Soviet with the 68,53% and 68 seats. Free Donbass, includes the Russian-nationalist extremist New Russia Party, gained the 31.65% and 32 seats.

Military

Problems of governance

OSCE monitors met with the self-proclaimed mayor of Sloviansk, Volodymyr Pavlenko, on 20 June. According to him, sewage systems in Sloviansk had collapsed, resulting in the release of least 10,000 litres of untreated sewage into the river Sukhyi Torets, a tributary of the Seversky Donets. He called this an "environmental catastrophe", and said that it had the potential to effect both Russia and Ukraine.

The DPR imposed martial law on 16 July.

The Ukrainian Government is paying wages and pensions for the inhabitants of the Donetsk People's Republic. Although the closing of bank branches led to problems in receiving these. Especially since the National Bank of Ukraine ordered banks to suspend financial transactions in places which are not controlled by the Ukrainian authorities on 7 August 2014. Only the Oschadbank continued to function in territories controlled by the DPR, but also closed its branches there on 1 December 2014.

In October 2014 the Donetsk People's Republic announced the creation of its own central bank and tax office, obliging residents to register under their Donetsk People's Republic and pay taxes to it. Some local entrepreneurs refused to register.

According to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine a number of local mutiny are taken place due to unpaid wages and pensions, the Council claims that on 24 November 2014 the local "Women Resistance Battalion" presented to Zakharchenko an ultimatum to get out of Donetsk in two months.

Economy

By late October 2014 many banks and other businesses in the Donetsk People's Republic were shut and people were often left without social benefits payments. Reuters also reported (late October 2014) long lines at soup kitchens. In at least one factory, factory workers do not receive wages anymore but only food rations.

Mines and heavy-industry facilities damaging by shelling were forced to close, undermining the wider chain of economic ties in the region. Three industrial facilities were under Donetsk People's Republic "temporary management" by late October 2014.

Donetsk People's Republic official often promise financial support from Russia, according to Reuters without giving specific details. Prime Minister Aleksandr Zakharchenko late October 2014 stated that "We have the Russian Federation's agreement in principle on granting us special conditions on gas (deliveries)". Zakharchenko also claimed that "And, finally, we managed to link up with the financial and banking structure of the Russian Federation". When Reuters tried to get more details from a source close to Zakharchenko its only reply was "Money likes silence". Early October 2014 Zakharchenko had stated “The economy will be completely, if possible, oriented towards the Russian market. We consider Russia our strategic partner”, according to Zakharchenko this would "secure our economy from impacts from outside, including from Ukraine”. According to Yury Makohon, from the Ukrainian National Institute for Strategic Studies, "Trade volume between Russia and Donetsk Oblast has seen a massive slump since the beginning of 2014".

DPR authorities are intended in creating a multi-currency zone in which both the rouble (Russia’s currency unit) and the hryvnia (Ukraine’s currency unit) can be used.

Human rights

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War crimes accusations

On 23 July, The Local reported: "The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross said Wednesday that it considered Ukraine to be in a state of civil war ... The formal classification means participants in the fighting between government forces and pro-Russian separatists in the east could eventually be prosecuted for war crimes in international courts."

On 24 July, Human Rights Watch accused Ukrainian government forces and pro-government militias of indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, stating that "The use of indiscriminate rockets in populated areas violates international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, and may amount to war crimes."

A report by Human Rights Watch "documented widespread use of cluster munitions in fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels in more than a dozen urban and rural locations." These were from "surface-fired 220mm Uragan (Hurricane) and 300mm Smerch (Tornado) cluster munition rockets." In the incidents in central Donetsk documented by the report, it was clear that the rockets were fired by Ukrainian Government forces; in incidents in other locations the rockets may have been fired from Russian territory or by separatist forces in Ukraine. Cluster munitions are not internationally banned although many countries have signed a treaty pledging not to use them. Neither Russia nor Ukraine have signed such treaties. The report called on both Russia and Ukraine to commit not to use these armaments.

A 18 November 2014 United Nations report on eastern Ukraine stated that the Donetsk People's Republic was in a state of "total breakdown of law and order". The report noted "cases of serious human rights abuses by the armed groups continued to be reported, including torture, arbitrary and incommunicado detention, summary executions, forced labour, sexual violence, as well as the destruction and illegal seizure of property may amount to crimes against humanity". The United Nations report also accused the Ukrainian Army and Ukrainian (volunteer) territorial defense battalions of human rights abuses such as illegal detention, torture and ill-treatment, noting official denials.

Allegations of anti-semitism

On Passover eve, alleged members of the Donetsk Republic, carrying the flag of the Russian Federation, passed out a leaflet to Jews that informed all Jews over the age of 16 that they would have to report to the Commissioner for Nationalities in the Donetsk Regional Administration building and register their property and religion. It also claimed that Jews would be charged a $50 'registration fee'. If they did not comply, they would have their citizenship revoked, face 'forceful expulsion' and see their assets confiscated. The leaflet stated the purpose of registration was because "Jewish community of Ukraine supported Bendera Junta," and "oppose the pro-Slavic People's Republic of Donetsk." The incident was reported by Jewish community members, and security at the synagogue confirmed that the men returned again on 16 April to further press their point.

The authenticity of the leaflet could not be independently verified. On the New York Times, Brendan Nyhan described the fliers as "most likely a hoax" and referred to the media coverage of an "apparently bogus story". According to Efraim Zuroff of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the leaflets looked like some sort of provocation, and an attempt to paint the pro-Russian forces as anti-semitic. The chief rabbi of Donetsk stated that the flyer was a fake meant to discredit the self-proclaimed republic, and saying that anti-Semitic incidents in eastern Ukraine are "rare, unlike in Kiev and western Ukraine". France 24 also reported on the questionable authenticity of the leaflets. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz noted in its headline that the flier was "now widely seen as fake". On The New Republic, Julia Ioffe also dismissed this as "a provocation", noting that it was likely to be a "tactic to smear the so-called anti-Maidan" movement.

Donetsk People's Republic chairman Denis Pushilin initially confirmed that the flyers were distributed by his organization, but denied any connection to the leaflet's content. Pushilin later denied at a press conference that the DPR had anything to do with the flyer, calling it provocation and a "complete lie".

According to Donetsk city chief rabbi Pinchas Vishedski, the press secretary of the self-proclaimed republic, Aleksander Kriakov, is "the most famous anti-Semite in the region," and believes the men were 'trying to use the Jewish community in Donetsk as an instrument in the conflict.'

According to Michael Salberg, director of the international affairs at the New York City-based Anti-Defamation League, it is currently unclear if the leaflets were issued by the pro-Russian leadership or a splinter group operating within the pro-Russian camp or someone else. National Post reported: "Jewish leaders in the city have said they see the incident as a provocation, rather than a real threat to their community of about 17,000 people."

Ukraine's Security Service announced it had launched an investigation on the matter.

On 17 April, pro-Russian separatists aided by Russian military specialists seized a TV tower providing signals to cities in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian channels were removed from air, with 'Russian propaganda channels given the frequencies'. On 20 April, which the Euro-Asian Congress noted was Adolf Hitler's birthday, activists boasted about their imminent "victory" in anti-Semitic terms. "Here, from Sloviansk, we are inflicting a powerful information conceptual blow to the biblical matrix...to Zionist zombie broadcasting." They then presented a lecture by former Russian Conceptual Party Unity leader Konstantin Petrov, who the EAJC described as a "anti-Semitic neo-pagan national-Stalinist sect".

Sectarian attacks

The Donetsk People's Republic has adopted a "constitution" which states that the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is the official religion of the self declared state. Donetsk separatists consider Christian denominations such as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Roman Catholics, and Protestants, as anti-Russian and see them as obstacles in the path of the separatist goal of uniting the region with Russia.

According to Bishop Jan Sobilo, in Kramatorsk a Catholic chapel was fired upon and parishioners are afraid to attend worship services. Donetsk's Uniate Church priest, Father Tikhon Kulbaka, states he received two text messages with explicit threats. Also, the address of his chapel and his phone number have appeared on pro-Russian websites. Another Catholic priest, Pawel Witek, was kidnapped for a day where he was interrogated and accused of being a "Polish sniper" sent by the Polish government. Members of a Gospel Church were forcibly dispersed at gunpoint by Donetsk insurgents on 23 May. A Protestant clergyman Sergiy Kosyak was held at the RSA building in Donetsk and interrogated, threatened, and beaten in a room marked "NKVD" for several hours by five men and one woman with clubs, batons, and whips. His injuries included a brain concussion. Kosyak stated that "religious intolerance is on the rise" and believed his religion was a motivating factor of the attack.

Patriarch Filaret also spoke about "numerous death threats against the Kiev Patriarchate clergy and believers" in the Donetsk areas controlled by the rebels.

Metropolitan of Donetsk and Mariupol, Illarion, has refused to take sides in the conflict.

Attacks on Romani (Gypsies)

The News of Donbass reported that members of the Donbass People's Militia engaged in assaults and robbery on the Romani (Roma/Gypsy) population of Sloviansk. The armed separatists beat women and children, looted homes, and carried off the stolen goods in trucks, according to eyewitnesses.

"They drove up in several cars and they had automatic weapons and pistols. They began shooting at the windows and they shot the locks off the doors, burst inside and started beating everyone - children, the elderly, men and women," Natalia Vorokuta, a member of a Romani women's cultural outreach group, told Romea.cz while describing events in Sloviansk. "They had to stand with their faces to the wall while the men threatened them and yelled that they had to immediately give them everything they have: Arms, drugs, gold and money. They threw everything they looted and stole into the vans and drove off," Vorokuta said, adding that the pogrom had an 'obviously racial subtext'.

On 23 April, more attacks on Romani were reported in Sloviansk, including a man shot in the leg.

The militants claimed they were acting on orders from 'People's Mayor' and militant leader Vyacheslav Ponomarev. Reports of the attacks were confirmed by Prime Minister Yatsenyuk, as well as a heightened level of xenophobic rhetoric at separatist rallies. Ponomarev confirmed the attacks and said that they were only against Romani he alleged were involved in drug trafficking, and that he was 'cleaning the city from drugs.'

The European Roma Rights Center reported that on 29 April in Slovyansk, a Romani man was shot while trying to defend his home and remains in a serious condition.

In Sloviansk, Romani have since fled en masse to live with relatives in other parts of the country, fearing ethnic cleansing, displacement and murder. Some men who have decided to remain are forming militia groups to protect their families and homes.

On 9 May, the US mission to the OSCE condemned credible reports of pro-Russian groups establishing "a disturbing and ongoing pattern of anti-Roma violence." The organization called on Russia "to use its influence with pro-Russia separatist groups to cease their destabilizing activity that could be perceived as enabling violence and intimidation targeted at Roma."

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said that his government would not tolerate incitement of ethnic hatred and would take all legal measures to prevent the import into Ukraine of anti-Semitism and xenophobia. He instructed law enforcement agencies to identify those distributing hateful material and bring them to justice, as well as those involved in the attacks on Romani.

Attack on the LGBT community

On 10 June, it was reported that armed militants from the Donetsk Republic attacked a gay club in the capital of Donetsk, injuring several. Witnesses said 20 people forced their way into the club, stealing jewelry and other valuables; the assailants fired shots in the club, and several people were hurt.

Prejudice against Ukrainian speakers

On 18 April, Vyacheslav Ponomarev asked local residents of Sloviansk to report all suspicious persons, especially if they are speaking in Ukrainian language. He also promised that the local media will publish a phone number for reporting.

A 18 November 2014 United Nations report on eastern Ukraine stated that the Donetsk People's Republic violated the rights of Ukrainian-speaking children because schools in rebel-controlled areas only teach in Russian.

Abductions

The Committee to Protect Journalists said that separatists had seized up to ten foreign reporters during the week following the Malaysian plane crash. On 22 July 2014, armed men from the DPR abducted Ukrainian freelance journalist Anton Skiba as he arrived with a CNN crew at a hotel in Donetsk.

Reactions

Domestic

• Donetsk City Council (and nine district councils of the city) distanced itself from the RSA occupiers and they stated (on 7 April): "The Donetsk city council and district councils continue working in the legal field. We see ensuring the vital functions of the city as our main task".
• The Independent Trade Union of Miners in Donetsk announced it would not support the pro-Russian separatist movement.
• Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko pledged revenge against pro-Russian separatists after 19 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in a rocket attack. "Militants will pay hundreds of their lives for each life of our servicemen. Not a single terrorist will avoid responsibility," he said.
•  Republic of Crimea - Crimean Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Temirgaliyev expressed the hope that the Donetsk Republic (as well as other south-eastern Ukrainian regions) would form a 'Ukrainian Federation' and join the Union State.
• Seven village councils, as well as the districts of Dobropillia Raion and Krasnoarmiisk Raion in Donetsk Oblast requested to secede to join Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The councils intend to hold a referendum. Dnipropetrovsk governor Ihor Kolomoisky announced that local referendums would take place to allow for his province to administer and provide service to cities in Donetsk and Luhansk which wish to secede. A vote on joining Dnipropetrovsk is scheduled for 11 May to coincide with the secessionist referendum.
• A report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released on 28 July said that based on "conservative estimates", at least 1,129 civilians had been killed since mid-April during the fighting, and nearly 3,500 had been wounded. The New York Times reported that the high rate of civilian deaths had "left the population in eastern Ukraine embittered toward Ukraine's pro-Western government", and that this sentiment helped to "spur recruitment" for the insurgents.

Foreign

•  Canada - Prime Minister Harper said that the events are "strictly the work of Russian provocateurs sent by the Putin regime." Canadian foreign affairs minister Baird described events in Ukraine as "brazen and co-ordinated actions" by . He said: "I don't know who the Russian Federation thinks it's kidding when it tries to pretend that it has nothing to do with them," and that there are "very clear and disconcerting parallels" between the developments in eastern Ukraine and those that took place before moved to annex Crimea." He said to reporters "there's no doubt, for a good number of weeks, provocateurs and frankly thugs have been crossing the border" into Ukraine.

•  Russian Federation – On 7 April, Russia's foreign ministry said that Ukrainian authorities keep blaming the Russian government for all its troubles and stated that "Ukrainians want to get a clear answer from Kiev to all their questions. It's time to listen to these legal claims". It also stated it was "carefully observing" events in the east and south of Ukraine, and again called for "real constitutional reform" that would turn Ukraine into a federation. In an 7 April opinion piece in The Guardian Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov wrote that it was the west, and not Russia, that was guilty of destabilising Ukraine and that "Russia is doing all it can to promote early stabilisation in Ukraine". The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a stern statement condemning the "criminal order" by Kiev for armed aggression against Donetsk, "The Kiev authorities, who self-proclaimed themselves as a result of a coup, have embarked on the violent military suppression of the protests,", demanding that "the Maidan henchmen, who overthrew the legitimate president, immediately stop the war against their own people, fulfill all the obligations under the Agreement of 21 February,"

•  United Kingdom – British Foreign Secretary William Hague said there is no doubt that Moscow is behind the destabilization of eastern Ukraine. "There can't really be any real doubt that this is something that has been planned and brought about by Russia," he said, adding that Russia was deliberately "violating the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine, and that "I don't think denials of Russian involvement have a shred of credibility."
•  United States – US Secretary of State John Kerry said on 7 April 2014 that the events "did not appear to be spontaneous" and called on Russia to "publicly disavow the activities of separatists, saboteurs and provocateurs" in a phone call to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. A spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council claimed that the separatists appeared to be supported by Russia. "We saw similar so-called protest activities in Crimea before Russia's purported annexation," she said in a statement, adding: "We call on President (Vladimir) Putin and his government to cease all efforts to destabilize Ukraine, and we caution against further military intervention." US-Ukraine ambassador Geoffrey R. Pyatt characterized the pro-Russian militants as terrorists.

Political experts

• Ukrainian-American Alexander J. Motyl, professor of political science at Rutgers University argues that Russia's direct and indirect involvement in the violence in eastern Ukraine qualifies as a state-sponsored terrorism, and that those involved qualify as "terrorist groups." Motyl also said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on 20 February that Ukraine would be "better off" without "those three problematic provinces -- the two in the Donbas, Luhansk, and Donetsk and arguably even the Crimea".

Recognition

•  South Ossetia - On 27 June, South Ossetia officially recognized the independence of the Republic, and authorized the establishment of diplomatic relations with it. However, South Ossetia only has limited recognition itself so far.

See also

• List of states with limited recognition
• List of active separatist movements in Europe
• List of designated terrorist organizations
• List of rebel groups that control territory
• 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine
• 2014 Crimean crisis
• Donetsk and Luhansk status referendums, 2014
• Lugansk People's Republic
• Federal State of Novorossiya
• Donetsk–Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic
• Free Territory
• Pavel Gubarev
• Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
• Live update & history

Notes

1. The group stated they:
   1) do not recognize the Ukrainian authorities;
   2) consider themselves the legitimate authority;
   3) "sent into retirement" of all law enforcement officials appointed by the central government and Governor Serhiy Taruta;
   4) "prescribed" in the 11 May referendum on self-determination Donetsk;
   5) require the issuance of its leader Pavel Gubarev and others are detained separatists;
   6) require Ukraine to withdrawal its troops and paramilitary forces;
   7) start the process of finding mechanisms of cooperation with the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia and other separatist groups (in Kharkiv and Luhansk).

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152. Susana Mas (14 April 2014). "Ukraine crisis: Stephen Harper blames 'Russian provocateurs' for escalation". CBC News. Archived from the original on 22 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
153. "Russia trying to 'dismember' Ukraine through protests, Kiev says". CNN. 7 April 2014.
154. ^ "Ukraine crisis escalates as pro-Russia activists declare independence in Donetsk". The Guardian. 7 April 2014. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |newspaper= (help)
155. "Sergei Lavrov: It's not Russia that is destabilising Ukraine". The Guardian. 7 April 2014. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |newspaper= (help)
156. "Moscow slams Kiev's military op order as 'criminal', calls for UNSC meeting". Russia Today. 13 April 2014.
157. "No doubt that Russia behind unrest in Ukraine – UK Foreign Secretary". Interfax-Ukraine. 14 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
158. Conor Humphries; Thomas Grove (13 April 2014). "Ukraine gives rebels deadline to disarm or face military operation". Reuters.
159. "Q&A with US Amb. Geoffrey Pyatt: Ukraine Crisis Escalates as War Fears Grow". Voice of America. 14 April 2014. Archived from the original on 8 June 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
160. Motyl, Alexander (14 April 2014). "Putin's Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism". World Affairs Journal. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
161. "Interview: The Benefits Of A Partitioned Ukraine". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 20 February 2014. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
162. "South Ossetia recognizes independence of Donetsk 's Republic". ITAR-TASS. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.

External links

• Official website
• Donetsk People's Republic on Twitter
• Rjabchikov, S.V., 2014. The Nazi Orders in the So-called "Donetsk People's Republic". Paper read in the scientific session of the Sergei Rjabchikov Foundation – Research Centre for Studies of Ancient Civilisations and Cultures, September 29, 2014, Krasnodar, Russia.

Template:Donetsk People's Republic topics

• History of Donetsk Oblast
• 2014 establishments in Ukraine
• Russian-speaking countries and territories
• 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
• Secession in Ukraine
• Unrecognized or largely unrecognized states
• States and territories established in 2014
• Irredentism
• Organizations designated as terrorist by the Government of Ukraine
• Donetsk People's Republic
• Federal State of Novorossiya