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Donetsk People's Republic Донецкая Народная Республика (Russian) Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika Донецька Народна Республіка (Ukrainian) Donets'ka Narodna Respublika
Flag of the Donetsk People's Republic
Anthem: Stand Up, Donbass!
Capitaland largest city	Donetsk
Official languages	Russian Ukrainian
Ethnic groups	Russians Ukrainians
Government
• People's Governor	Pavel Gubarev
• Chairman of the Council	Denis Pushilin
• Prime Minister	Alexander Boroday
• Supreme Commander	Igor Girkin
Legislature	Supreme Council of the Donetsk People's Republic
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 (UAH)

The Donetsk People's Republic (Template:Lang-ru, Donétskaya naródnaya respúblika, Template:Lang-uk, Donets'ka narodna respublika) is an unrecognized state in eastern Ukraine and part of the self-proclaimed Federal State of New Russia. It shares a border with Russia and the Lugansk People's Republic, 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 authority of the self-declared nation initially did not extend significantly beyond the occupied administration buildings and armed checkpoints, and outside of cities and in smaller towns control is uncertain.

The self-proclaimed state's activities are headed by the Donetsk Republic organization, a group which has been banned in Ukraine since 2007, and as of 16 May 2014 the Republic as a whole has been classified as a terrorist organization by the state. To date, the Donetsk People's Republic has not been recognized by any foreign country.

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 interim government in Kiev resigns. Since the agreement, the Security Service of Ukraine continues 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 declared 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 New Russia.

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".

Public opinion

In a poll conducted by Kyiv 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 standoff with police in Mariupol demand the abolition of biometric passports and an end to vaccinations.

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-Russia protesters attended a rally in Donetsk pushing for a Crimea-style referendum on independence from Ukraine. 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 11 May 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 unrelated to Donetsk Republic organization who proclaimed independence and seized the council, issued a statement on its Facebook page against the other group's declaration of independence, citing complaints from locals. 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. Numerous Russian citizens, including leaders of various far-right militant groups, 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 22 April, separatists agreed to release the session hall of the building along with two floors to state officials.

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 audio recording of a phone call between a Donetsk separatist leader and the leader of the neo-Nazi paramilitary group Russian National Unity Alexander Barkashov. 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."

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

Alleged ethnic, religious, and other prejudice

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 signal 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".

Attacks on Christians

Donetsk separatists consider Christian denominations such as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Roman Catholics, and Protestants, as alien to Russians and opponents of the separatist goals of uniting with Moscow. In Kramatorsk, shots were fired at a Catholic chapel and according Bishop Jan Sobilo, separatists paralyze cities and the faithful are afraid to attend Mass. "I receive text messages with explicit threats. Pro-Russians publish the address of our church on social networks, and explain how to find me," Donetsk's Ukrainian Catholic Church priest, Father Tikhon Kulbaka, told AFP. A Polish Catholic priest, Pawel Witek, was also kidnapped for 24 hours, while Protestant pastor Sergiy Kosyak, who was diagnosed with a brain concussion, was beaten for four hours with sticks and batons at the occupied RSA building in Donetsk. "Religious intolerance is on the rise," he explained of the situation. Patriarch Filaret also spoke about "numerous death threats against the Kiev Patriarchate clergy and believers" in the Donetsk areas controlled by the rebels.

The Donetsk People's Republic has adopted a "constitution" which stipulates that the main religion is Orthodoxy as preached by the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

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 allegedly 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 in 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 allegedly 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 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."

Attacks on homosexuals

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, shooting male and female visitors.

Prejudice against Ukrainians

Ponomarev announced on 18 April a "hunt" on the Ukrainian speaking population of Donetsk region, telling militants to report suspicious activity, especially if they overheard use of the Ukrainian language. Material inciting ethnic hatred towards Ukrainians was also found near the Regional State Administration (including posters about the "horrors and atrocities of Euromaidan and Bandera").

Yatsenyuk said that the government will not tolerate incitement of ethnic hatred and will take all legal measures to prevent the import into Ukraine of anti-Semitism and xenophobia. The Prime Minister has 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.

Expansion of territorial control

On 12 April, unmarked pro-Russian soldiers seized the Interior Ministry office in Donetsk without resistance. Following negotiations with those in the building, the head of the Donetsk Ministry of Internal Affairs resigned. The police later denied that the building had been taken, but rather that the building had only been surrounded by pro-Russian protesters. Former Berkut officers, who had been dissolved by the government following their actions during the February revolution, took part in the raid and sided with the separatists in Donetsk and spoke to the crowd outside the police department.

Armed separatists attempted to capture a chemical plant housing a significant amount of explosives, but were repelled by the Ukrainian National Guard. Two of the attackers were arrested and a police officer was injured.

On 16 April, pro-Russian gunmen stormed the Donetsk City Hall. The gunmen allowed the municipal employees to leave the building without harm. Mayor Alexander Lukyanchenko was said to be inside negotiating with the separatists, who are demanding a referendum on the status of the Donbass region.

Pro-Russian protesters stormed the headquarters of the regional state television network on 27 April, and announced that they will replace the feed with that of Rossiya 24, a Kremlin-backed network. By 28 April, Ukrainian channels were still airing, however the rebroadcasting of Rossiya 24 began, after it had been shut down by an order from a court in Kiev earlier on in the protests.

On 4 May, police raised the flag of the Donetsk Republic over the Donetsk police station.

Sloviansk

On 12 April masked men in army fatigues and bulletproof vests, armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles captured the executive committee building, the police department and SBU office in Sloviansk, a city in the northern part of the Donetsk Oblast. According to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry the militant supporters of the Donetsk Republic fired indiscriminately on the building. In raiding the police armory, the militants seized at least 400 handguns and 20 automatic weapons. "The aim of the takeover was the guns," a Ukrainian police statement said. "They are giving these guns to participants in the protest in Sloviansk." The following morning after the events in Sloviansk, the Ukrainian government announced a counter-terrorism operation would take place in the city.

The counter-terrorism operation began the following morning on 13 April where police cleared a highway checkpoint controlled by separatists. A group of insurgents exited their vehicle and began opening fire on Ukrainian police, where 2 SBU officers were killed and several Ukrainian military were injured; 1 separatist was also killed in the shootout while the remainder fled into the woods. The car the gunmen were in had a Poltava Oblast license plate, which was traced to the private security firm Yavir. In an unrelated shootout in the city itself, two people were shot dead by an assailant in plain clothes, and another wounded.

In the early morning hours of 20 April, during what was supposed to be an "Easter truce", a People's Militia checkpoint outside of Sloviansk was allegedly attacked by unknown gunmen. The People's Militia claimed to have killed two of the attackers and suffered three dead before they managed to repulse the attack. The mayor of Sloviansk and the Russian Foreign Ministry blamed the group Right Sector for the attack, while a spokesman for the group and Ukraine's Interior Ministry claimed that Russian special forces were responsible for the incident. Sky News correspondent Katie Stallard said there are inconsistencies in the separatists' accounts and there is no coherent evidence to back up what they are saying. Daniel Sandford of the BBC described the evidence presented by the pro-Russian side as 'dubious'.

Kramatorsk

In Kramatorsk, northern Donetsk region, a shootout with police occurred as the separatists attacked the police station before capturing it. Donbass Militia members tore off the sign of the station and raised the flag of the Donetsk Republic. The gunmen then gave an ultimatum that if by Monday the city's mayor and his subordinates did not side with the Republic, then they would "take the executive committee;" a crowd of separatists rallied around the executive committee building and flew the Republican flag from the top of the building. Other activists had already entered the city council building. A Donetsk Republic representative addressed locals outside the police station, and was received negatively with booing.

After an offensive on 2–3 May that routed insurgents from the SBU building, Ukrainian troops withdrew from the city on 4 May.

Other cities

On 12 April, in Horlivka, men attempted to seize the police department but were stopped. The purpose of the raid was an attempt to seize weapons, police said. Police stated they would use firearms to defend against "criminals and terrorists." However, on 14 April, after a tense standoff, the regional police headquarters in Horlivka was successfully stormed by activists. Some members of the local police unit defected to the People's Republic earlier in the day, while the remaining officers eventually retreated, allowing the pro-Russian forces to take control and raise the flag of the People's Republic over the building. The chief of police was captured, beaten, and hospitalized. On 17 April, city council deputy Volodymyr Rybak was kidnapped by masked men; on 22 April, a body was found in the river believed to be his. Pro-Russian protesters seized the city council building and Horlivka police division on 30 April.

Pro-Russian extremists also reportedly tried to take the police station in Shakhtarsk, and seize the police station in Krasnyi Lyman.

On 13 April, activists and supporters of federalization took administration in Mariupol.

In Druzhkivka, pro-Russian militants reportedly seized the district administration.

On 12 April, Ukraine's Interior Ministry denied that Krasnyi Lyman, Kramatorsk, and Krasnoarmiisk's government buildings had fallen to separatists. However, on 16 April protesters hoisted the flag of the Donetsk People's Republic over city administration buildings in Krasnoarmiisk and Novoazovsk.

On 13 April, activists occupied local administration and the police station in the city of Mariupol, the second largest city in the oblast.

In Artemivsk, separatists failed to capture the police station but entered the city council building and raised the flag of the Donetsk Republic from the roof of the building.

Donbass People's Militia members took the regional council building in Khartsyzk.

On 14 April, pro-Russia activists seized the local council building in Zhdanovka and declared loyalty to the People's Republic.

On 18 April, pro-Russian activists took over the local administration and police buildings in the city of Seversk. Local law-enforcement authorities subsequently announced that they would cooperate with the pro-Russian activists.

On 20 April, separatists in Yenakiieve, who had occupied the city council since 13 April, left.

On 24 April, 70-100 insurgents armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers attacked a weapons depot in Artemivsk, Donetsk Oblast, which housed up to 30 tanks. They were met with resistance from Ukrainian military and retreated. A substantial number were wounded from the insurgents, along with one Ukrainian soldier as well. Avakov said the group was led by a man with "an extensive beard," hinting at Russian militant Alexander Mozhaev.

Up to 30 pro-Russian gunmen seized the police headquarters of Konstantinovka on 28 April. Previously, on 22 April, a local newspaper that was critical of the People's Republic had its office in Konstantinovka burned down by pro-Russian protesters.

Government counteroffensive

According to German media, FBI and CIA agents advise Ukrainian government on ending the rebellion in the east of Ukraine.

In response to the actions, acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov vowed to launch a major counter-terrorism operation against separatist movements in the country's eastern regions. Later that day on 7 April, the SBU office in Donetsk was retaken by SBU Alpha Group. Russian media claims that, Alfa Special unit from Donetsk refused orders from Kiev, explaining it by the fact that their duties are counter-terrorism actions.

Ukrainian acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced on 9 April that the separatist protests in Ukraine's eastern region would be resolved within 48 hours – either through negotiations or the use of force. "There are two opposite ways for resolving this conflict -- a political dialogue and the heavy-handed approach. We are ready for both," he said, according to official news agency Ukrinform. Acting President Olexander Turchynov has already signed a decree to take the Donetsk Regional State Administration "under state protection," and has offered amnesty to the separatists if they lay down their arms and surrender. On the 11th, Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said he was against the use of law enforcement scenarios, "but there is a limit."

On 15 April, Kiev announced to launch a counteroffensive against Pro-Russian Protesters. The correspondents did not hear or see any fights in the morning. Ukrainian troops re-took the airfield in Kramatorsk after a gunfight with the people's militia which resulted in at least four deaths.

After the Ukrainian army re-took the airfield, the commanding general of the unit, Vasily Krutov, was surrounded by hostile protesters, who demanded to know why the Ukrainian troops had fired upon locals earlier. Krutov was eventually dragged back to the airbase and, along with his unit, were blockaded by protesters who vowed not to let the troops leave their base. Krutov later told reporters that "if they (separatists) do not lay down their arms, they will be destroyed."

The People's Militia entered Sloviansk on 16 April with six armored personnel carriers they claimed to have obtained from part's of the 25th Airborne Brigade who had surrendered their arms in the city of Kramatorsk. Reports say the occupants were disarmed after the vehicles were blockaded by locals. In another incident, several hundred residents of Pchyolkino, south of Sloviansk, surrounded another column of 14 Ukrainian armoured vehicles. After negotiations, the troops were allowed to drive their vehicles away, but only after agreeing to surrender the magazines from their assault rifles. These incidents apparently led President Turchynov to disestablish the 25th Airborne Brigade. Three members of the people's militia were killed, eleven were wounded, and 63 arrested after an attempted storming of the National Guard base in Mariupol was repulsed.

According to BBC's David Stern on 17 April, "Ukraine's 'anti-terrorist' operation is looking more and more a non-event, or worse, an outright fiasco." Some Ukrainian soldiers refused "to shoot at their own people" and the offensive is losing its momentum.

On 22 April, Ukraine's acting president relaunched military operations against pro-Russian militants in the east after two men, one a local politician, were found "tortured to death". The politician, Volodymyr Rybak, was found near Sloviansk and had been abducted by pro-Russian "terrorists." "The terrorists who effectively took the whole Donetsk region hostage have now gone too far," he said.

According to the Ukraine Interior Ministry, the city of Sviatogorsk, near Sloviansk, was retaken by Ukraine on 23 April. The Ministry of Defense later announced it had taken control over all important facilities in the Kramatorsk area.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced on 24 April that Ukrainian government forces had liberated the city hall in Mariupol after a clash with pro-Russian protesters there. However, Natalia Antelava of the BBC, said that while it appears that although the mayor and an armed contingent did enter the building early in the morning, there was later no sign of Ukrainian troops at the city hall. Pro-Russian activists blamed Ukrainian nationalists for the attack but said the separatist movement was now back in charge. "We, the People's Republic of Donetsk, still control the building. There was an attempted provocation but now it's over," Irina Voropoyeva, a representative of the People's Republic, told Reuters on 24 April.

Ukrainian officials alleged that the counter-insurgency operation intended to retake the all of Sloviansk on this day, but an increased threat of a Russian invasion halted the operation - Russian forces mobilized to within 10 km of the Ukrainian border. The government confirmed 7 were killed during the operation. President Turchynov later addressed the media, announcing the 'anti-terrorist' operation would be resumed, citing the ongoing hostage crisis.

As of 6 May, 14 servicemen died and 66 were injured as part of the counteroffensive.

On early 7 May, the Ukrainian National Guard retook the city hall in Mariupol after heavy fighting with pro-Russian militants overnight. Anti-Kiev protesters claimed that the National Guard used a toxic gas during the operation, resulting in injuries when anti-Kiev protesters attempted to re-occupy the building later on 7 May after the National Guard had withdrawn. By the end of 7 May, the flag of the People's Republic was flying over the building.

On 9 May, Ukrainian security forces attacked the police headquarters in Mariupol in an attempt to recapture it from militants. During the assault, the attacking forces set fire to the building in a bid to drive out the rebels. The Ukrainian Interior Minister claimed it was the militants, 60 of them, who attacked the police station and the police managed to repulse the assault. 6–20 militants were killed along with one police officer. Four militants were captured and five policemen were wounded. One armored personnel carrier was captured by pro-Russian protesters and after the clashes they built barricades in the city center. At the same time, Ukrainian National News claimed separatists attempted to disarm Ukrainian troops near Donetsk. The troops resisted firing warning shots and arresting 100 separatists. Also, an Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) priest attempted to negotiate with the separatists near Druzhkivka but was shot 8 times and killed, which was confirmed by the Church and Prosecutor's Office.

Hostage crisis

During the crisis, at least a dozen individuals, including journalists, city officials, local politicians, and members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have been taken hostage by Donetsk Republic separatists across the region. Two abductees have been murdered by pro-Russian forces. Sloviansk has held the highest concentration of hostages, with Republic city mayor Vyacheslav Ponomarev claiming to hold at least 10; vowing to take more as bargaining chips, and to execute them in the result of a government counter-assault. On 25 April 13 more were taken hostage, including 8 OSCE members. These hostages were later released on 3 May.

On 9 May at 19:00 militants in Donetsk raided the city's Red Cross office, capturing large stocks of medical supplies and detaining 7-9 male Red Cross workers (female workers present were released). The prisoners were accused of espionage, and held in the Donetsk Regional State Administration building, until they were released at 02:00 on 10 May. One of the prisoners had been severely beaten.

Post-autonomy referendum

It was reported on 12 May that, following the local autonomy referendum, Donbass People's Militia leader Igor Girkin (known as "Strelkov") declared himself "Supreme Commander" of the Donetsk People's Republic. In his decree, he demanded all military stationed in the region swear an oath of allegiance to him within 48 hours, and all remaining Ukrainian military will be "destroyed on the spot." He then petitioned the Russian Federation for military support to protect against "the threat of intervention by NATO" and "genocide."

On 15 May, self-declared governor Pavel Gubarev instituted martial law and threatened "total annihilation" of Ukrainian armed forces if they did not pull out of the Donbass region by 9pm local time. "There remains one hour for the Ukrainian invaders to fulfill the terms of the ultimatum - to remove the illegal checkpoints and pull their troops and weapons away from the cities of Donbas. Otherwise there will be total annihilation of everyone - both the weapons and the personnel of the fascists!" Gubarev said on Facebook. The threat was confirmed by Republican co-leader Myroslav Rudenko. Separately, an ultimatum issued by Sergei Zdrilyuk, a self-styled separatist commander in Donetsk, issued an ultimatum set to expire sometime on 16 May. In his statement he claimed: “I will have enough manpower and resources, and my commander gave me his support in this matter, for all of this to be destroyed and burnt down.” In five cities in Donetsk oblast, thousands of Metinvest steelworkers under the employ of oligarch Rinat Akhmetov established control over Mariupol and, according to Andrew E. Kramer of The New York Times, "routed the pro-Kremlin militants, while also establishing a presence in Donetsk itself." The steelworkers used industrial trucks and equipment from their factories to dismantle all the barricades that had been erected. The workers, who were joined by police, said they were "outside politics" and just trying to establish order. Metinvest executives claim 18,000 workers signed up for the voluntary patrols, by Andrew E Kramer, 15 May 2014.

However, according to a report by CNN on 19 May, it was unclear who controlled Mariupol, as militia of the People's Republic were still patrolling the city center and holding rallies to commemorate the dead from the 9 May clashes in the city. Denis Kuzmenko, the self-declared local leader of the Donetsk People's Republic in Mariupol, denied that the steelworkers of Metinvest were opposed to the People's Republic, " are patrolling because they support the Donetsk People's Republic and they want order."

On 17 May Girkin (Strelkov) issued a video address in which he expressed disappointment with the lack of local support and recruits, that the fighting corps of the Donbass Militia was primarily men over the age of 40, and encouraged women to enlist to fill the deficit.

Donetsk-based steel magnate Rinat Akhmetov called on his 300,000 employees within the region to "rally against separatists" on 20 May 2014. Sirens sounded at noon at the factories to signal the beginning of the rally. In Mariupol it was largely ignored by the workers, who continued on with their jobs. A so-called Peace March was held in the stadium Donbass Arena in Donetsk accompanied by cars beeping their horns at noon. BBC News and Ukrayinska Pravda reported that some vehicles were attacked by separatists and that armed gunmen had threatened (at) the offices of several city taxi services not to take part. In response to this all, and Akhmetov's refusal to pay taxes to the organization, on 20 May self-declared Chairman of the Council Denis Pushilin announced the Donetsk People's Republic would attempt to nationalize Akhmetov's assets. On 25 May, between 2,000 to 5,000 protesters marched to Akhmetov's mansion in Donetsk city and demanded the nationalization of Akhmetov's property, while chanting "Akhmetov is an enemy of the people!". According to the Russian-state news agency ITAR-TASS, Akhmetov was believed to be in London during the protests.

On 22 May, 18 Ukrainian soldiers were killed when armed separatists attacked a Ukrainian army checkpoint in the village of Blahodatne, north of Volnovakha. Three armored personnel carriers and several trucks were also destroyed in the attack and one rebel was killed in the raid.

Also on 22 May, the separatists established the political party "New Russia" led by Pavel Gubarev. He announced territorial expansion to Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhia "Once we solve the problem of Sloviansk," and the foundation of a new self-declared confederate state. The state would, according to Aleksandr Dugin, have its capital in Donetsk, Russian Orthodoxy Christianity as the state religion, and nationalize major industries.

The next day, a unit of the Ukrainian Donbas Volunteer Battalion attempted to advance on rebel positions at a separatist checkpoint near the village of Karlivka, northwest of Donetsk. However, they were ambushed by a group of 150-200 separatists, backed-up by an armored personnel carrier, leaving five of the pro-Ukrainian fighters dead, according to the Healthcare ministry, as well as four separatists, per an AFP photographer. 20 pro-Ukrainian soldiers were also wounded and at least four captured. The volunteer battalion was surrounded by the separatists and outnumbered 6-1 until fighters from the nationalist Right Sector allegedly broke through the encirclement to allow the core of the Donbas Battalion to escape. The involvement of Right Sector was disputed by the Donbas Battalion command. Pro-Russian leader Igor Bezler claimed he executed all of the captured soldiers. A rebel leader confirmed four of their fighters were killed, but also claimed that 10 soldiers and two civilians also died. Other sources confirmed only one civilian death. Also during the day, two pro-Russian separatists were killed during a raid on a local government building they had been occupying in Torez by members of the paramilitary Ukraine Battalion led by Oleh Lyashko.

Airport battle

During the morning on 26 May, 200 pro-Russian rebels, many of the Vostok Battalion, captured the terminal area of Donetsk International Airport and demanded the withdrawal of government patrols. The militants also blocked off the road to the airport. Soon after, the Ukrainian National Guard issued an ultimatum to the separatists to surrender, which was rejected. Following this, paratroopers launched an assault and an air strike was also conducted against the rebels. Attack helicopters were also used which targeted a rebel anti-aircraft gun. As evening fell, the situation was unclear with the military pushing out the rebels. Donetsk Mayor Oleskandr Lukyanchenko said the death toll in the clashes stood at 40, almost all of them rebels, but also including two civilians. The city morgue gave a death toll of 33 militants and two civilians. 43 separatists were also wounded. Separatist leaders Alexander Borodai put the death toll at 34. Ukrainian officials reported no losses. 15–35 of the rebels were reportedly killed in a single incident when two trucks carrying wounded fighters away from the airport were targeted ether by air strikes or fell into an ambush with at least one of them being hit by an RPG.

During the fighting Druzhba Arena, home of the Kontinental Hockey League team HC Donbass was ransacked by pro-Russian gunmen who looted the arena before destroying surveillance equipment and setting the arena on fire.

Donetsk police said the insurgents had killed two policemen in the nearby town of Horlivka, and it was reported that the men had been executed with sacks over their heads for "breaking their oath to the Donetsk People's Republic".

On 28 May, up to 1,000 coal miners marched through Donetsk city in support of the People's Republic, while calling on Ukrainian troops to leave the region.

About half of the separatists killed were identified as Russian citizens, which was confirmed by representatives of the Donetsk People's Republic.

Inter-rebel unrest

On 29 May, members of the Vostok Battalion entered the de facto capital of the People's Republic, the Donetsk Regional State Administration Building, and proceeded to arrest about a dozen separatists whom they accused of looting and being disloyal. They also kicked out the local administrators who were "poorly clothed and poorly armed", according to Al-Jazeera's John Wendle. According to Wendle, the actions of the Vostok Battalion, under the command of Alexander Khodkovsky, the head of the People's Republic's security service, appeared to have been part of an internal "coup" under the pretence of restoring order. A Vostok Battalion soldier named "Sergey" said, "While we were fighting at the airport, these guys (the arrested separatists) were looting the Metro supermarket nearby." In addition to kicking out the "disloyal" separatists, the Vostok Battalion removed the protester-made barricades that have lined the RSA building since the beginning of the occupation, due to the barricades being considered a fire hazard and susceptible to a Ukrainian military attack. People's Republic leaders Denis Pushilin and Alexander Borodai both denied that any "coup" had taken place and insisted that the "police actions" of the Vostok Battalion on 29 May had their blessing.

Continued fighting

Ukraine's acting defense minister informed that Ukrainian forces had "completely cleared" the southern and western parts of the Donetsk region and the northern part of the Luhansk region of separatists.

On 30 May, six insurgents were killed while they were attempting to retrieve the bodies of their comrades at the site of the airport battle. A spokesperson for the Ukrainian forces said earlier in the day two new attacks on the airport had been repelled with no injuries to their side, Interfax reported.

The coup coincided with the repatriation of Russian fighters killed in the airport battle back to Russia.

On 3 June, Ukrainian forces reportedly destroyed the main rebel stronghold in Semenivka and regained control over Krasnyi Lyman. Two soldiers were confirmed killed and 45 wounded. A military spokesman claimed 300 insurgents were killed and 500 wounded in the operation, while the rebels themselves admitted to the loss of 10–50 fighters, more than 25 of them allegedly being killed while treated in a hospital in Krasnyi Lyman. None of the claims by ether said was independently confirmed and both sides denied the others accounts of the fighting.

On 5 June, rebels attacked a border post at the village of Marynivka. The government claimed the fighting left 15–16 rebels dead and five soldiers wounded, while the separatists said they had no information on any losses on their side.

On 7 June, a shootout took place between what witnesses described as rival separatist groups at the Millennium Cafe near the Donetsk administration building. Maxim Petrukhin, vice chair of the Donetsk People's Republic, was killed in the fight, and chairman Pushilin was also wounded.

Militants

Donbass People's Militia

Igor Strelkov, commander of the Donbass People's Militia in Sloviansk and alleged Russian Military Intelligence Colonel, has denied Russian involvement in the insurgency. According to him his unit was formed in Crimea, and that 2/3rds of its members are Ukrainian citizens. Strelkov stated that the Sloviansk separatists had agreed to work with the leadership in Donetsk despite conflicts between rebel groups. According to a spokesman for the Donetsk People's Republic, the militants in Sloviansk are "an independent group who are supporting the Donetsk protest," while militants in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk and have identified themselves as members of Pavel Gubarev's Donbass People's Militia.

Militants in Sloviansk appeared to include professional soldiers as well as retired veterans, civilian and volunteers, while those in Donetsk have been confirmed to include former Berkut riot police officers. When asked by The Sunday Telegraph where the weapons had come from, one armed Afghanistan war veteran nodded at the Russian flag flying from the police station and said: "Look at that flag. You know which country that represents." A rebel commander in Donetsk, Pavel Paramonov, has openly told journalists he is from Tula, Russia. In Horlivka, police who defected were commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel of the Russian Army, later to be identified as Igor Bezler.

Vyacheslav Ponomarev, the self-declared mayor of Sloviansk and a former military veteran says that he put out an appeal to old military friends to take part in the militia. "When I called on my friends, practically all of whom are ex military, they came to our rescue, not only from Russia but also from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Moldova," he said.

A former separatist militant corroborated the claims in an interview with RFE/RL that fighters have arrived from Russia, including Cossack units, to support the separatists. An interview with an insurgent from St. Petersburg was published in Gazeta who claimed to be fighting voluntarily as part of the "Russian Imperialist Movement."

Vostok Battalion

The current Vostok Battalion was formed in early May 2014 and is run by Alexander Khodаkovsky, the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic’s security service and a militant group called the 'Patriotic Forces of Donbass'. Radio Free Europe has reported that it has members from the original Vostok ("East") Battalion formed in Chechnya by Sulim Yamadayev in 1999, which was used to help pro-Russian separatists from South Ossetia in the Russo-Georgian war. The battalion was incorporated into a Defense Ministry reserve unit based in Chechnya in 2009. Khodakovsky said he had some 1,000 men in his unit now and that some more "volunteers" were coming, with experience of Russian state security structures or the army.

The original unit which operated in Chechnya, South Ossetia and Georgia was directly controlled by the GRU, Russian military intelligence. The present unit operating in Ukraine, which is partly made of the veterans of the original battalion, was likewise mostly likely re-created by Russian intelligence or with its direct approval. The unit includes both fighters arrived from Russia and Ukrainian-born members.

A number of the Vostok fighters were killed in their first operation in the Donetsk conflict and 30 bodies repatriated back to Russia.

Members of the group are paid salaries of $100 a week.

Cossacks

Don Cossacks volunteers have participated in Ukraine's separatist uprising. The New York Times reported: "It is easy enough to walk across the border, said. But the Russian government has prohibited Cossack units from crossing en masse. Instead, individual volunteers go to fight." Insurgents have been found to be members of militant nationalist groups acting as proxies for Russia. On the Russian social network VK, a number of militants involved in the armed seizure of buildings were identified. While some were locals from eastern Ukraine, others were involved in 'self-defense' groups that annexed Crimea. A number were Cossacks from Belorechensk, Krasnodar Krai, Russia, including Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation. The militants allegedly associated with neo-Nazi and ultranationalist groups or imagery.

Several of these Cossacks form a unit called the 'Terek Wolves Sotnia', a reference to a detachment of White emigre Cossacks who fought against Stalin's regime and Soviet Union during the second world war. Its founder, Andrei Shkuro, is considered Nazi war criminal by the Russian state. Ranking members include Alexander "Boogeyman" Mozhaev (a Russian military veteran from Belorechensk) and Evgeny "Papa" Ponomarev (a Russian Registered Cossack officer), the units Commander. Mozhaev, a fugitive in Russia, states Russian officials have an "an open corridor for the Cossacks" and they are allowed to pass through unchecked and without passports. According to Simon Shuster of TIME, "All of this points to the complicity, if not also the direct orders, of various branches of the Russian government in the Wolves' Hundred campaign – from Russian border guards all the way up to the Kremlin Council for Cossack Affairs."

Following involvement in Crimea, Mozhaev says they "decided to go conquer some more historically Russian lands." The Wolves are part of Cossack militias that have been in the service of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and say they are volunteers driven by the ideals of their Cossack brotherhood, Russian imperialism, and the Russian Orthodox Church. The unit says they will not go home "until they conquer Ukraine or die trying," and claim to have killed numerous Ukrainian servicemen. "We won't just kill them. We will give their bodies back to their mothers in bags," said member Vodolaz, or Diver in a TIME Magazine interview.

On 20 May, Mozhaev issued a video address to Vladimir Putin to open a land corridor to Russia to allow for reinforcements in what he called a "Sacred War." He also explained that his group's goal was to destroy “the Jew-Masons,” who are “fomenting disorder all over the world” and “causing us, the common Orthodox Christian folk, to suffer.”

On 25 May the SBU arrested 13 Russian Cossacks in Luhansk.

North Caucasus paramilitary

Ukraine's foreign ministry has said the presence of foreign soldiers amounted to “undisguised aggression” from Russia and “the export of Russian terrorism to our country." "There are grounds to affirm that Russian terrorists funneled on to the territory of Ukraine are being organized and financed through the direct control of the Kremlin and Russian special forces," the ministry said. To dates, reports and interviews have shown the presence of Chechen, Ossetian, Tajik, Afghan, and various Russian paramilitary forces operating in Ukraine.

Chechens

On 4 May 2014 a union of Chechen war veterans announced it would do the same, claiming it had already sent over 1,000 soldiers Ukraine. On 5 May, it was reported that Chechen rebels were sighted in Sloviansk. According to Sloviansk National Guard commander Stepan Poltorak, the soldiers he witnessed this day were well trained, foreign actors, and "not of Slavic appearance." The next day, the Kyiv Post reported on a YouTube video taken at checkpoint in Sloviansk on 3 May in which the soldiers speak a foreign language, neither Russian or Ukrainian, "fueling suspicions that Chechen soldiers have been sent to eastern Ukraine to cause further unrest." On 7 May Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov threatened to send tens of thousands of Chechen "volunteers" to the south of Ukraine if the "junta" in Kiev continued its "punitive operations." It has been reported that Kadyrov has engaged in an aggressive recruitment campaign in Chechnya for this operation, with witnesses claiming of recruitment centres in Grozny, Achkhoy-Martyan, Znamensky, and Gudermes. The Kavkazcenter, the official website of the North Caucasus Islamic insurgency, claimed in mid-March, first, that the Chechen authorities had opened recruiting offices for "volunteers" wishing to fight in Ukraine and then that those offices had been suddenly closed.

The Kavkazcenter posted what it said was a letter it had received from a member of one of the Chechen forces who had been sent to Sloviansk. The man, whom Kavkazcenter identified as "Musa," said morale among his unit was poor because they couldn't understand why they had been sent there and had no grievance against the Ukrainians who, "unlike the Russians, have never done anything bad to us."

On 24 May five trucks ran the Ukraine-Russia border carrying militants aboard, with some reports suggesting among the militants were veteran Chechen soldiers. The following day units of the 'Vostok Battalion' arrived in Donetsk among a group of 8 trucks filled with 20 soldiers each. The soldiers spoke Chechen, and confirmed to the crowd they were from Chechnya. Two told a CNN team they were "volunteers" (and "Kadyrovtsi") from the Chechen capital, Grozny, and one indicated that he was formerly a policemen in Chechnya and in Donetsk to serve the Russian Federation. Russian leader of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov denied knowledge of the use of Chechen troops in Ukraine, but separatist commander Sergei "Abwher" Zdrilyuk later confirmed the use of Chechen militants ('and other nationalities') among the ranks of the Donetsk militia, and that many members of the Vostok Battalion were killed in action during a battle with Ukrainian forces at the Donetsk International Airport. Among the dead were confirmed to be members of the 4th-company of the SOBR, a spetsnaz unit of the Russian Interior Ministry (MVD). Donetsk Mayor Oleksandr Lukyanchenko said among wounded militants were Russians from Crimea, Moscow, and the Chechen cities of Grozny and Gudermes.

Chechen militants interviewed by the Financial Times & Vice News confirmed their involvement: “Our president gave the order. They called us and we came,” one said. They added that their unit was called the "Savage Division," and that they had travelled to Donetsk in a group of 34 soldiers from Grozny via the Russian city of Rostov, and that they were stationed at a Donetsk military base alongside three local pro-Russian paramilitary groups, each of which had its own commander. Asked whether there were Russian fighters on the ground in eastern Ukraine, one replied: “Am I not Russian? The Russians can’t openly attack Ukraine...They’re not officially here. Everything is underground.”

Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov issued a statement on 1 June, saying that he had not ordered Chechens to take part in the fighting in Ukraine, but in the event he does sent troops, he has "74,000 Chechens who are willing to go to bring order to the territory of Ukraine," and that he would not sent them to Donetsk, but to Kiev.

Ossetians & Abkhaz

On 4 May 2014, the United Ossetia party and the Union of Paratroopers in Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia announced the volunteer recruitment of veterans of the Georgian–Ossetian conflict for "protection of the peaceful population of Ukraine's southeast." Video published by an Osset militant group indicated that they were operating in Donetsk. On 27 May soldiers interviewed admitted that there were 16 fighters from Ossetia operating in Donetsk who had been operating in Donetsk two months prior. Head of the State Border Service of Ukraine Mykola Lytvyn said official records indicate the presence of Abkhaz militants as well.

On 1 June, insurgents from North and South Ossetia were open about their presence to reporters. "In 2008 they were killing us and the Russians saved us. I came here to pay my dues to them," said one named Oleg of the group of 16 within Vostok Battalion.

Alleged Russian involvement

A significant number of Russian citizens, many veterans or ultranationalists, are currently involved in the ongoing armed conflict, a fact acknowledged by separatist leaders. Russian specialist for the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Carol Saivets describes the role of Russian soldiers as 'almost certainly' proceeding with the blessing and backing of the Russian state, “even if the Russians are indeed volunteers rather than serving military men.”

In an interview with French television station TF1 and radio Europe1 Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "There are no armed forces, no 'Russian instructors' in Ukraine -- and there never were any.".

The well-organized and well-armed pro-Russian militants have been described by Ukrainian media as resembling those which occupied regions of Crimea during the 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine. Former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Admiral Ihor Kabanenko, claims the militants are Russian military reconnaissance and sabotage units. Interior Minister Avakov stated the militants in Krasnyi Lyman used Russian-made AK-100 series assault rifles fitted with grenade launchers, and that such weapons are only in issue in the Russian Federation. "The Government of Ukraine is considering the facts of today as a manifestation of external aggression by Russia," said Avakov. Militants in Sloviansk arrived in military trucks without license plates.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki says there is a "broad unity in the international community about the connection between Russia and some of the armed militants in eastern Ukraine". The Ukrainian Government released photos of soldiers in eastern Ukraine, which the US State Department says show that some of the fighters are Russian special forces. US Secretary of State John Kerry said the militants "were equipped with specialized Russian weapons and the same uniforms as those worn by the Russian forces that invaded Crimea." The US ambassador to the United Nations said the attacks in Sloviansk were "professional," "coordinated," and that there was 'nothing grass-roots seeming about it'. UK foreign minister William Hague stated "I don't think denials of Russian involvement have a shred of credibility, The forces involved are well armed, well trained, well equipped, well co-ordinated, behaving in exactly the same way as what turned out to be Russian forces behaved in Crimea." NATO Commander Philip M. Breedlove assessed that soldiers appeared to be highly trained and not a spontaneously formed local militia, and that "what is happening in eastern Ukraine is a military operation that is well planned and organized and we assess that it is being carried out at the direction of Russia."

Russian Opposition MP Ilya Ponomarev said "I am absolutely confident that in the Eastern regions of Ukraine there are Russian troops in very small amounts. And it's not regular soldiers, but likely representatives of special forces and military intelligence."

Klaus Zillikens, head of the OSCE mission in Donetsk, said that the mission has detected signs of "foreign agents" operating in Ukraine, but thus far there is no evidence to confirm that. According to Georgij Alafuzoff, the Director of Intelligence at the European Union Military Staff, even if there is presence of the Russian military in Ukraine, it is not as large as it was in Crimea. He suggests the militants are mostly local citizens, disappointed by the situation in the country. Nick Paton Walsh, reporting from Donetsk for CNN, stated that the physical appearance of the militants is different from that of the unidentified troops, spotted throughout Crimea while it was in the process of secession.

David Patrikarakos, a correspondent for the New Statesman said the following: "While at the other protests/occupations there were armed men and lots of ordinary people, here it almost universally armed and masked men in full military dress. Automatic weapons are everywhere. Clearly a professional military is here. There’s the usual smattering of local militia with bats and sticks but also a military presence. Of that there is no doubt."

The New York Times journalists interviewed Sloviansk militants and found no clear link of Russian support: "There was no clear Russian link in the 12th Company’s arsenal, but it was not possible to confirm the rebels’ descriptions of the sources of their money and equipment."

Commenting on the presence of the Vostok Battalion within the rebel ranks, Chairman Denis Pushilin said on 30 May, "It's simply that there were no volunteers before, and now they have begun to arrive – and not only from Russia."

Training facility

In a press briefing by the Ukrainian Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), Andriy Parubiy, one of the founders of the ultranationalist Social-National Party of Ukraine, stated that militants were trained in a military facility in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. "Near Rostov-on-Don, there is a big military base where terrorists are preparing for deployment into the territory of the Ukrainian state. This is confirmed not only by our intelligence, but also Russian prisoners who were detained, and they testify about this base," Parubiy said. He added that more than a thousand militants are trained by Russian instructors, and then they in small armed groups try to break into the territory of Ukraine. On 21 May, a Russian citizen with military experience was detained trying to enter the country, who upon investigation, was found to have recently trained in the Rostov facility.

According to Russian 'volunteer' insurgent organizer Aleksandr Zhuchkovsky, Rostov-on-Don acts as a staging area for the activity where soldiers live in hotels, rented apartments and tent camps.

Leadership

The pro-Russian separatist activities are headed by the Donetsk Republic organization, a group which has been banned in Ukraine since 2007. The group's leader, Andrei Purgin, was arrested weeks prior on charges of separatism. The political leader of the state is the self-declared People's Governor Pavel Gubarev, a former member of the neo-Nazi Russian National Unity paramilitary group and former Communist Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, who was also arrested on charges of separatism and illegal seizure of power but released in a hostage swap. Denis Pushilin is the chairman of the government, while Igor Kakidzyanov has been named as the commander of the "People's Army". Alexander Borodai, a Russian citizen claiming to be involved in the Russian annexation of Crimea, was appointed as 'Prime Minister'.

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

Ukrainian presidential candidate Oleg Tsarov, who had recently been kicked out of the Party of Regions, traveled to Donetsk and said he was ready to become a leader of what he called the "South-east movement". Tsarov also assured separatists in Donetsk that will do everything to disrupt the presidential elections, which are scheduled for 25 May. "I'm sure that will be no elections," he said. He then promised that he would create a "central authority" within the center of Donetsk. Despite his stance towards the elections, he also insists on running in them, which has been met by a negative response by protesters who demand a referendum and boycott of the elections. On 14 April, police searched Tsarov's vehicle and found assault rifle ammunition.

Government

• Chairman of the government: Denis Pushilin
• Minister of Foreign Affairs: Ekaterina Gubareva
• Commander-in-Chief of Popular Army: Igor Kakidzyanov (on 7 May 2014 captured by pro-Ukrainian paramilitaries), Igor Girkin (since 15 May 2014).
• Head of the Central Executive Committee: Sergei Ivanov
• Prime Minister: Alexander Borodai (appointed 17 May)

Human rights concerns

The UN has observed an "alarming deterioration" in human rights in rebel held territory in eastern and southern Ukraine. The UN has detailed growing lawlessness, documenting cases of targeted killings, torture and abduction, primarily carried out by Donetsk People's Republic forces in eastern Ukraine. The UN also reported threats, attacks and abductions of journalists and international observers, as well as the beatings and attacks on supporters of Ukrainian unity.

In a report from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, Ivan Šimonović, UN Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights, reported on illegal detention, abduction and intimidation of election officials and called for urgent action in order to prevent a Balkans-Style War. He also warned of a humanitarian crisis due to a failure of social services and an exodus of people from the affected region. He said, "Donetsk is on the verge of collapse of social services," due to a shortage of crucial supplies such as medicines including insulin. A medication and insulin shortage was confirmed by Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

In April, the leadership of Donetsk People's Republic requested international assistance and humanitarian aid for its residents.

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.
• Seven village councils, as well as the districts of Dobropillia Raion and Krasnoarmiisk Raion in Donetsk Oblast requested that they be secede to 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.

Foreign

•  Canada - Prime Minister Harper charged 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 Russia. 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 Russia moved to annex Crimea." He told reporters "there's no doubt, for a good number of weeks, provocateurs and frankly thugs have been crossing the border" into Ukraine.
•  Russia – On 7 April Russia's foreign ministry accused Ukrainian authorities of "blaming" the Russian government for all its troubles and stated "Ukrainian people 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 condemnation "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, to immediately stop the war against their own people, to fulfill all the obligations under the Agreement of 21 February,"
  •  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.
•  United Kingdom – British Foreign Secretary William Hague has 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 has noted 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.

Alleged Blackwater involvement

International Business Times reported: "Over 100 private mercenaries belonging to the elite private US force Blackwater have set up base in Eastern Ukraine ... The information was leaked to the media by sources from German foreign intelligence agency Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), which claims that the ad hoc Ukrainian government is colluding with the US government." Academi denied the content of the reports in a response to German Die Zeit.

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".

See also

• 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine
• Pavel Gubarev
• Donetsk–Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic
• List of active separatist movements in Europe
• 2014 Crimean crisis
• Donetsk and Luhansk status referendums, 2014
• Lugansk People's Republic

Notes

1. Gubarev was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine on 6 March for "advocating separatism" and "illegal seizure of power" and is being held in Kiev. He faces up to ten years in prison.
2. 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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