Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext) | '{{short description|Ongoing armed conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine}}
{{about|the ongoing armed conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine|the broader Russian military intervention|Russo-Ukrainian War}}
{{pp-move-indef}}{{use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{use British English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict =
| partof = the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]]
| image = [[File:Map of the war in Donbass.svg|frameless|upright=1.35]]
| caption = Military situation in February 2022: Pink highlights areas held by the DPR/LPR, yellow highlights areas held by the Ukrainian government.
| date = {{start date|df= yes|2014|04|06}} – present<br />({{age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=04|day1=06|year1=2014}})
| place = [[Donbas]], and the [[Donetsk Oblast|Donetsk]] and [[Luhansk Oblast|Luhansk]] [[Oblasts of Ukraine|oblasts]] of Ukraine
| coordinates =
| map_type =
| map_relief =
| latitude =
| longitude =
| map_size =
| map_marksize =
| map_caption =
| map_label =
| territory =
| result =
| status = [[List of ongoing armed conflicts|Stalemate]]
* Separatists take control of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts
** [[Russian military intervention in Ukraine (2014–present)]]
* [[Minsk Protocol]] ceasefire signed on 5 September 2014<ref name="Peace">{{Cite news |date=5 September 2014 |title=Ukraine and pro-Russia rebels sign ceasefire deal |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29082574 |access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref>
* [[Minsk II]] ceasefire came into effect on 15 February 2015
* Renewed attempt to implement Minsk II on 1 September 2015<ref name="MIIreS16">{{Cite news |last=Gibbons-Neff |first=Thomas |date=3 September 2015|title=Three-day-old ceasefire in Ukraine broken as fighting resumes in some areas |newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/09/03/three-day-old-ceasefire-in-ukraine-broken-as-fighting-resumes-in-some-areas/ |access-date=29 December 2017}}</ref>
* [[2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis|Increased tension and heightened escalation between Ukraine and Russia]], beginning in 2021 and continuing in 2022
* Official recognition of DPR and LPR by Russia on 21 February 2022 and by Syria on 22 February 2022
| combatants_header =
| combatant1 = {{flag|Ukraine}}
| combatant2 = {{ubl|{{flag|Donetsk People's Republic}}|{{flag|Luhansk People's Republic}}}}<hr>{{flag|Russia}}{{refn|group=note|name=Denied|See the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]].}}<ref>{{cite news |date=24 April 2018 |title=PACE officially recognizes occupied areas in Donbas as 'effectively controlled' by Russia |publisher=Unian.info |url=https://www.unian.info/politics/10092899-pace-officially-recognizes-russia-s-occupation-of-donbas.html |access-date=27 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=24 April 2017 |title=Ukraine vs Russia: The ICJ's Court Decision, Examined |url=https://en.hromadske.ua/posts/ukraine-vs-russia-the-icjs-court-decision-examined |access-date=27 April 2018 |publisher=en.hromadske.ua}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=22 May 2015 |title=Ukraine: Breaking Bodies: Torture and Summary Killings in Eastern Ukraine |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur50/1683/2015/en/ |access-date=20 May 2018 |publisher=Amnesty International |page=10 |quote=Sustained fighting erupted in eastern Ukraine that summer, amidst compelling evidence of Russian military involvement.}}</ref>
| units1 = {{flagicon|Ukraine}} '''Ukraine'''<br />
[[Armed Forces of Ukraine|Armed Forces]]
* [[Ukrainian Ground Forces|Ground Forces]]
** [[Aidar Battalion]]
** [[Territorial defence battalion (Ukraine)|Territorial defence battalions]]
* [[Special Operations Forces (Ukraine)|Special Operations Forces]]
[[Security Service of Ukraine|Security Service]]
* [[Alpha Group (Ukraine)|Alpha Group]]
[[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)|Internal Affairs Ministry]]
* [[National Guard of Ukraine|National Guard]]
* [[Azov Battalion]]
* [[Dnipro Battalion]]
* [[Donbas Battalion]]
* [[Georgian National Legion]]
* [[Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion]]
* [[Right Sector]]
* [[Special Tasks Patrol Police (Ukraine)|Special Police]]
* [[Noman Çelebicihan Battalion]]
[[State Border Guard Service of Ukraine|State Border Guard]]<br />
''[[Combatants of the war in Donbas#Pro-government paramilitaries|Others]]''<ref name="fivb">
*{{cite news |last=Olena Goncharova |date=18 October 2015 |title=Foreign fighters struggle for legal status in Ukraine |work=[[Kyiv Post]] |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/foreign-fighters-struggle-for-legal-status-in-ukraine-400182.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018173857/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/foreign-fighters-struggle-for-legal-status-in-ukraine-400182.html |archive-date=18 October 2015}}
*{{Cite news |date=19 October 2015 |title=Foreign nationals fighting for Ukraine in Donbas demand passports in exchange for their service |agency=[[Ukraine Today]] |url=http://uatoday.tv/society/foreign-nationals-fighting-for-ukraine-in-donbas-demand-passports-in-exchange-for-their-service-516210.html |access-date=26 October 2015}}
*{{cite magazine |last=Nolan Peterson |date=4 August 2015 |title=Why a Russian Is Fighting for Ukraine |url=http://www.newsweek.com/why-russian-fighting-ukraine-320723 |magazine=[[Newsweek]] |access-date=26 October 2015}}
*{{Cite news |date=19 October 2015 |title=They Came to Fight for Ukraine. Now They're Stuck in No Man's Land |work=[[Foreign Policy]] |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/10/19/ukraines-abandoned-soldiers-russian-belarusian-volunteers/ |access-date=26 October 2015}}
*{{Cite news |last=Megrelidze |first=Sophiko |date=23 January 2015 |title=Georgians in Ukraine fight shadow war |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/27f1501df4204a3b83e41a38b54bceff}}</ref>
| units2 = {{flagicon|Donetsk People's Republic}}{{flagicon|Luhansk People's Republic}} '''[[Russian separatist forces in Donbas|Pro-Russian separatists]]'''<br />
[[Separatist forces of the war in Donbas#Structure|DPR Armed Forces]]
* [[Combatants of the war in Donbas#Vostok Battalion|Vostok Brigade]]
* [[Combatants of the war in Donbas|1st Sloviansk Brigade]]
* [[Kalmius Brigade]]
* [[Sparta Battalion]]
* [[Somalia Battalion]]
* [[Republican Guard (Donetsk People's Republic)|Republican Guard]]
* [[Russian Orthodox Army]]
* [[Chetniks#Ukraine|Serbian Chetniks]]<ref>{{cite web |date=14 August 2014 |title=Serbian mercenaries fighting in eastern Ukraine |url=http://www.dw.com/en/serbian-mercenaries-fighting-in-eastern-ukraine/a-17855479 |publisher=Deutsche Welle}}</ref>
[[Separatist forces of the war in Donbas#Structure|LPR People's Militia]]
* [[Prizrak Brigade]]
* Zarya Battalion
* 4th Separate Tank Battalion "August"
* [[Separatist forces of the war in Donbas#Structure|6th Separate Cossack Motorized Rifle Regiment]]
* [[Interbrigades|National Bolshevik Interbrigades]]
----
{{flagicon|Russia}} '''Russia'''
* [[Russian Armed Forces]]{{refn|group=note|name=Denied}}
* [[Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation]]<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Shuster|first=Simon|title=Meet the Cossack 'Wolves' Doing Russia's Dirty Work in Ukraine |url=http://time.com/95898/wolves-hundred-ukraine-russia-cossack/|magazine=Time|accessdate=28 August 2021}}</ref>
* [[Chechens|Chechen]] [[Kadyrovtsy]]<ref>{{cite web |date=8 May 2015 |title=Suspicions abound as Chechen fighters make mysterious exit from Donbas battlefield |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv-post-plus/suspicions-abound-as-chechen-fighters-make-mysterious-exit-from-donbas-battlefield-388012.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509155417/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv-post-plus/suspicions-abound-as-chechen-fighters-make-mysterious-exit-from-donbas-battlefield-388012.html |archive-date=9 May 2015 |access-date=2 June 2015 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref>
* [[Wagner Group]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Iasynskyi |first=Stanislav |date=19 October 2017 |title=Wagner mercenaries: what we know about Putin's private army in Donbas |url=http://euromaidanpress.com/2017/10/19/wagner-mercenaries-what-we-know-about-putins-private-army-in-donbas/ |access-date=27 April 2018 |publisher=Euromaidanpress.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=4 November 2017 |title=Ukraine names over 150 mercenaries from 'Putin's private army' fighting in Ukraine and Syria |url=http://euromaidanpress.com/2017/11/04/ukraines-special-service-shares-more-data-on-the-militants-of-russian-wagner-private-military-group-operating-in-donbas-and-syria/ |access-date=27 April 2018 |publisher=Euromaidanpress.com}}</ref>
* [[Russian National Unity#In Ukraine|RNU Volunteer Units]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ukraine-crisis-who-are-russian-neo-nazi-groups-fighting-separatists-1463489|title = Ukraine Crisis: Who Are the Russian Neo-Nazi Groups Fighting with Separatists?|date = September 2014}}</ref>
* [[Eurasian Youth Union|Eurasian Youth volunteers]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-far-right-nationalists-train-kids-to-fight-in-war-camps/|title=Russian far-right nationalists train kids to fight in 'war camps'|website=[[CBS News]]}}</ref>
* [[Night Wolves]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/25/poland-anti-russian-night-wolves-zaldostanov-motorcyclists-red-army|title = Poland's stance is 'anti-Russian hysteria', says Night Wolves leader|work = [[The Guardian]]|date = 25 April 2015}}</ref>
* [[Combatants of the war in Donbas#Volunteers from other countries|Moldovan mercenaries]]<ref>{{cite web |date=14 April 2018 |title=Moldova Identifies Dozens of Fighters in Ukraine |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2018/04/24/moldovan-mercenaries-join-military-ranks-in-donbas-04-23-2018/}}</ref>
* [[Combatants of the war in Donbas#Ossetian and Abkhaz paramilitaries|Ossetian and Abkhaz paramilitaries]]
| combatant3 =
| commander1 = {{ubl|{{flagdeco|Ukraine}} [[Volodymyr Zelensky]]<br />(2019–present)|{{flagdeco|Ukraine}} [[Petro Poroshenko]]<br />(2014–2019)|{{flagdeco|Ukraine}} [[Oleksandr Turchynov]]<br />(2014)|{{flagdeco|Ukraine}} [[Denys Shmyhal]]}}
----
[[File:Flag of Donetsk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Pavlo Kyrylenko]] (current)
{{collapsible list
| bullets = yes
| title = [[Governor of Donetsk Oblast]] (full list)
|[[File:Flag of Donetsk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Serhiy Taruta]] (2014)
|[[File:Flag of Donetsk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Oleksandr Kikhtenko]] (2014–2015)
|[[File:Flag of Donetsk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Pavlo Zhebrivskyi]] (2015–2018)
|[[File:Flag of Donetsk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Oleksandr Kuts]] (2018–2019)
}}
[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Serhiy Haidai]] (current)
{{collapsible list
| bullets = yes
| title = [[Governor of Luhansk Oblast]] (full list)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Mykhailo Bolotskykh]] (2014)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] Iryna Verihina (2014; as acting governor)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Hennadiy Moskal]] (2014–2015)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Heorhiy Tuka]] (2015–2016)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Yuriy Harbuz]] (2016–2018)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] Serhiy Fil (2018–2019; as acting governor)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] Vitaliy Komarnytskyi (2019)
}}
| commander2 = '''In DNR'''{{ubl|{{flagicon|Donetsk People's Republic}} [[Denis Pushilin]]<br />(2018–present)|{{flagicon|Donetsk People's Republic}} [[Dmitry Trapeznikov]]<br />(August–September 2018)|{{nowrap|{{flagicon|Donetsk People's Republic}} [[Alexander Zakharchenko]]}}<br />(2014–2018)|{{flagicon|Russia}} [[Alexander Borodai]]<br />(2014)|{{flagicon|Russia}} [[Igor Girkin]]<br />(2014)|{{flagicon|Donetsk People's Republic}} [[Pavel Gubarev]]<br />(2014)}}
'''In LNR'''{{ubl|{{flagicon|Luhansk People's Republic}} [[Leonid Pasechnik]]<br />(2017–present)|{{flagicon|Luhansk People's Republic}} [[Igor Plotnitsky]]<br />(2014–2017)|{{flagicon|Luhansk People's Republic}} [[Valery Bolotov]]<br />(2014)|{{flagicon|Luhansk People's Republic}} [[Sergey Kozlov (politician)|Sergey Kozlov]]<br />(2015–present)}}
----
'''In Russia'''{{ubl|{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Vladimir Putin]]{{refn|group=note|name=Denied}}|{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Mikhail Mishustin]]{{refn|group=note|name=Denied}}}}
| commander3 =
| strength1 = 64,000 troops<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 July 2015 |title=Probability of full-scale Russian invasion remains high – Ukrainian army general |agency=Ukraine Today |url=http://24today.net/open/484721 |url-status=dead |access-date=29 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228171239/http://24today.net/open/484721 |archive-date=28 February 2017}}</ref>
| strength2 = {{ubl|40,000–45,000 fighters<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 June 2015 |title=Pro-Russian rebels have 40,000-strong army, sufficient for 'mid-sized European state': Ukraine defence minister |work=ABC AU |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-09/ukrainian-rebels-have-army-the-size-of-small-european-state/6530828 |access-date=26 June 2015}}</ref>|3,000–4,000 Russian volunteers<ref>[http://tass.ru/en/world/747005 "Around 3–4 thousand Russian volunteers fighting for Donetsk People's Republic militia"]. Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. 28 August 2014</ref>|9,000–12,000 regular Russian soldiers (Ukraine and United States estimate)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kyiv Says 42,500 Rebels, Russian Soldiers Stationed in East Ukraine |url=http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russian-troops-fighting-poltorak/27059578.html |access-date=25 June 2015 |website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=3 March 2015 |title=Some 12,000 Russian soldiers in Ukraine supporting rebels: U.S. commander |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-russia-soldiers/some-12000-russian-soldiers-in-ukraine-supporting-rebels-u-s-commander-idUSKBN0LZ2FV20150303 |access-date=3 March 2015}}</ref>}}
| strength3 =
| casualties1 = {{ubl|4,629 killed<ref name="memory" /><ref name="memory1" />|70 missing<ref name="70missing">{{Cite news |date=6 September 2019 |title=UNIAN: 70 missing soldiers officially reported over years of war in Donbas |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/unian-70-missing-soldiers-officially-reported-over-years-of-war-in-donbas.html |access-date=6 September 2019}}</ref>|9,700–10,700 wounded<ref name="OHCHR">{{cite web |url= https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-oon-kst-gertv-boyovyh-donbas/31110937.html |title= ООН підрахувала кількість жертв бойових дій на Донбасі |work= [[Radio Liberty]] |date= 19 February 2021 |access-date= 19 February 2021}}</ref>}}
| casualties2 = {{ubl|5,772 killed{{Ref label|killed|*}}<ref name="OHCHR" /><ref>
*[http://eng.ombudsman-dnr.ru/the-overview-of-the-current-social-and-humanitarian-situation-in-the-territory-of-the-donetsk-peoples-republic-as-a-result-of-hostilities-between-23-and-29-january-2021/ The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic as a result of hostilities between 23 and 29 January 2021]
*[http://eng.ombudsman-dnr.ru/the-overview-of-the-current-social-and-humanitarian-situation-in-the-territory-of-the-donetsk-peoples-republic-as-a-result-of-hostilities-between-25-and-30-december-2021/ The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities between 25 and 30 December 2021]
*[https://eng.ombudsman-dnr.ru/the-overview-of-the-current-social-and-humanitarian-situation-in-the-territory-of-the-donetsk-peoples-republic-as-a-result-of-hostilities-from-05-to-11-february-2022/ The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities from 05 to 11 February 2022]</ref>|12,700–13,700 wounded<ref name="OHCHR" />}}
| casualties3 = {{ubl|3,393 civilians killed (349 in 2016–2021)<ref name="civilians">[https://ukraine.un.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Conflict-related%20civilian%20casualties%20as%20of%2030%20September%202021%20%28rev%208%20Oct%202021%29%20EN.pdf Conflict-related civilian casualties in Ukraine]</ref>|13,100–13,300 killed; 29,500–33,500 wounded overall<ref name="OHCHR" />|414,798 Ukrainians internally displaced; 925,500 fled abroad<ref name="OCHA1482015">{{Cite web |date=August 2015 |title=Ukraine |url=http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ocha_ukraine_situation_update_number_7_14_august_2015.pdf |access-date=15 September 2015 |website=OCHA |issue=Situation update No. 7 as of 14 August 2015}}</ref>}}
| notes = {{Note label|killed|*}} Includes 400–500 Russian servicemen (per the [[United States Department of State]], March 2015)<ref name="Bellal2016">{{Cite book |last=Bellal |first=Annyssa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IfX8CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA302 |title=The War Report: Armed Conflict in 2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-19-876606-3 |page=302 |access-date=17 October 2016}}</ref>
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Ukrainian crisis}}{{Campaignbox Post-Soviet conflicts}}
}}<!-- ============================= End right floating templates ============================= -->
The '''war in the Donbas''', or the '''Donbas War''', is an armed conflict in the [[Donbas]] region of [[Ukraine]], part of the broader [[Russo-Ukrainian War]]. From the beginning of March 2014, in the aftermath of the [[2014 Ukrainian revolution]] and the [[Euromaidan]] movement, protests by pro-russian, anti-government [[separatist]] groups took place in the [[Donetsk Oblast|Donetsk]] and [[Luhansk Oblast|Luhansk]] [[oblasts]] of Ukraine, collectively called the Donbas region. These demonstrations, which followed the February–March 2014 [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexation of Crimea]] by the Russian Federation, and which were part of a wider group of [[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine|concurrent protests]] across southern and eastern Ukraine, escalated into an armed conflict between the separatist forces of the self-declared [[Donetsk People's Republic|Donetsk]] and [[Luhansk People's Republic|Luhansk]] People's Republics (DPR and LPR, respectively), and the [[Government of Ukraine|Ukrainian government]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Grytsenko |first=Oksana |date=12 April 2014 |title=Armed pro-Russian insurgents in Luhansk say they are ready for police raid |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/armed-pro-russian-insurgents-in-luhansk-say-they-are-ready-for-police-raid-343167.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412131249/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/armed-pro-russian-insurgents-in-luhansk-say-they-are-ready-for-police-raid-343167.html |archive-date=12 April 2014}}</ref> While the initial protests were largely native expressions of discontent with the new Ukrainian government, Russia took advantage of them to launch a co-ordinated political and military campaign against Ukraine.<ref name="de">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=33–34 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref> Russian citizens led the separatist movement in Donetsk from April until August 2014, and were supported by volunteers and [[materiel]] from Russia.<ref name="de2" /><ref name="jamestown-20140815">[https://jamestown.org/program/strelkovgirkin-demoted-transnistrian-siloviki-strengthened-in-donetsk-peoples-republic/#.U-8Yxdr3-yw Strelkov/Girkin Demoted, Transnistrian Siloviki Strengthened in 'Donetsk People's Republic'], [[Vladimir Socor]], [[Jamestown Foundation]], 15 August 2014</ref><ref name="REUeuada">{{Cite news |date=27 July 2014 |title=Pushing locals aside, Russians take top rebel posts in east Ukraine |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-rebels-insight-idUSKBN0FW07020140727 |access-date=27 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728013327/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/27/us-ukraine-crisis-rebels-insight-idUSKBN0FW07020140727 |archive-date=28 July 2014}}</ref> As the conflict escalated in May 2014, Russia employed a "[[Hybrid warfare|hybrid]] approach", deploying a combination of disinformation tactics, irregular fighters, regular Russian troops, and conventional military support to destabilise the Donbas region.<ref name="de3">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=69 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref><ref name="Fedorov">{{Cite book |last=Fedorov |first=Yury E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7vODDwAAQBAJ&q=%2522Russian+invasion+of+ukraine%2522 |title=Routledge Handbook of Russian Security |date=15 January 2019 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-18122-8 |language=en |chapter=Russia's 'Hybrid' Aggression Against Ukraine}}</ref><ref name="karber2">{{Cite report |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316122469 |title="Lessons Learned" from the Russo-Ukrainian War |last=Karber |first=Phillip A. |date=29 September 2015 |publisher=The Potomac Foundation |page=34}}</ref>
Ukraine launched a military counter-offensive against pro-Russian forces in April 2014, called the "Anti-Terrorist Operation" (ATO) from 2014 until 2018, when it was renamed the "Joint Forces Operation" (JFO).<ref name="Katchanovski2016">{{Cite journal |last=Katchanovski |first=Ivan |date=1 October 2016 |title=The Separatist War in Donbas: A Violent Break-up of Ukraine? |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299383810 |journal=European Politics and Society |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=473–489 |doi=10.1080/23745118.2016.1154131 |issn=2374-5118 |s2cid=155890093}}</ref>{{Rp|4}}<ref name="eujfa2">{{Cite news |date=4 May 2018 |title=Old war, new rules: what comes next as ATO ends and a new operation starts in Donbas? |language=en-US |publisher=Ukraine crisis media centre |url=https://uacrisis.org/en/66558-joint-forces-operation |access-date=22 July 2020}}</ref> By late August 2014, this operation was able to vastly shrink the territory under the control of pro-Russian forces and came close to regaining control of the [[Russia–Ukraine border]].<ref name="de4">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=44 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref> In response, Russia abandoned its hybrid approach and began a conventional invasion of the Donbas.<ref name=de4/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Snyder |first=Timothy |title=The road to unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America |isbn=978-0-525-57446-0 |edition=First |location=New York, NY |pages=191 |oclc=1029484935}}</ref> Following reports of Ukrainian positions being shelled from the Russian side of the border, between 22 and 25 August 2014, Russian artillery, personnel, and what Russia called a "humanitarian convoy" crossed the border. Russian crossings reportedly occurred both in areas that were controlled by pro-Russian forces and those that were not, such as the south-eastern part of [[Donetsk Oblast]], near [[Novoazovsk]].<ref name="nyt1">{{Cite news |last=Michael R. Gordon |date=22 August 2014 |title=Russia Moves Artillery Units into Ukraine, NATO Says |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/23/world/europe/russia-moves-artillery-units-into-ukraine-nato-says.html |access-date=5 June 2015}}</ref><ref name="NYT2782014">{{Cite news |last1=Kramer |first1=Andrew E. |last2=Gordon |first2=Michael R. |date=27 August 2014 |title=Ukraine Reports Russian Invasion on a New Front |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/world/europe/ukraine-russia-novoazovsk-crimea.html |access-date=27 August 2014}}</ref> [[Head of the Security Service of Ukraine]] [[Valentyn Nalyvaichenko]] characterised the events of 22 August as a "direct invasion by Russia of Ukraine",<ref name="Ukr crisis convoy crosses border">{{Cite news |date=22 August 2014 |title=Ukraine accuses Russia of invasion after aid convoy crosses border |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-aid-convoy-idUSKBN0GM0IS20140822 |url-status=live |access-date=22 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822150641/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/22/us-ukraine-crisis-aid-convoy-idUSKBN0GM0IS20140822 |archive-date=22 August 2014}}</ref> while other Western and Ukrainian officials described the events as a Russian "stealth invasion".<ref name="NYT2782014"/> Russia's official position on the presence of Russian forces in Donbas has been vague; while official bodies have denied the presence of "regular armed forces" in Ukraine, it has on numerous occasions confirmed the presence of "military specialists", along with other euphemisms, usually accompanied by an argument that Russia "was forced" to deploy them to "defend the Russian-speaking population".<ref>''The Interpreter'' quoted what Putin said during a live call-in session on 12 October 2016:<br />"When we were forced, I want to stress, forced to defend the Russian-speaking population in the Donbas, forced to respond to the desire of the people living in Crimea to return to being part of the Russian Federation, they instantly began to whip up anti-Russian policies and the imposition of sanctions."<br />{{Cite news |date=12 October 2016 |title=Putin Claims Russia Was 'Forced To Defend Russian-Speaking Population in Donbass' |work=The Interpreter |url=http://www.interpretermag.com/day-968/#15291 |access-date=8 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Oliphant |first=Roland |date=17 December 2015 |title=Vladimir Putin admits: Russian troops 'were in Ukraine' |journal=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/vladimir-putin/12054164/Vladimir-Putins-annual-press-conference-2015-live.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/vladimir-putin/12054164/Vladimir-Putins-annual-press-conference-2015-live.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=9 January 2018 |issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
As a result of the invasion, DPR and LPR insurgents regained much of the territory they had lost during the Ukrainian government's preceding military offensive.<ref name=Katchanovski2016/> Ukraine, Russia, the DPR and the LPR signed an agreement to establish a ceasefire, called the [[Minsk Protocol]], on 5 September 2014.<ref name="BBC2908" /> Violations of the ceasefire on both sides became common. Amidst the solidification of the line between insurgent and government-controlled territory during the ceasefire, [[warlord]]s took control of swaths of land on the insurgent side, leading to further destabilisation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vasilyeva |first=Nataliya |date=11 November 2014 |title=Ukraine rebels: a disunited front run by warlords |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/e2dcda041fa84a7192093bfe98dea55a |access-date=15 November 2020}}</ref> The ceasefire completely collapsed in January 2015, with renewed heavy fighting across the conflict zone, including at [[Donetsk International Airport]] and at [[Debaltseve]]. Involved parties agreed to a new ceasefire, called [[Minsk II]], on 12 February 2015. Immediately following the signing of the agreement, separatist forces launched an [[Battle of Debaltseve#After Minsk II|offensive on Debaltseve]] and forced Ukrainian forces to withdraw from it. In the months after the fall of Debaltseve, minor skirmishes continued along the line of contact, but no territorial changes occurred. This state of stalemate led to the war being labelled a "[[frozen conflict]]";<ref name="REU21JULY2015" /> despite this, the area remained a war zone, with dozens of soldiers and civilians killed each month.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Whitmore |first=Brian |date=26 July 2016 |title=The Daily Vertical: Ukraine's Forgotten War (Transcript) |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |url=http://www.rferl.org/a/daily-vertical-deadly-donbas-forgotten-war/27880993.html |access-date=9 September 2016}}</ref> In 2017, on average one Ukrainian soldier died in combat every three days,<ref>[http://dailysignal.com/2017/12/04/ukraine-beginning-look-lot-like-christmas-lot-less-like-russia/amp/ In Ukraine It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, and a Lot Less Like Russia], [[The Daily Signal]] (4 December 2017)<br />[https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/11/27/kurt-volker-the-full-transcript-215868 Kurt Volker: The Full Transcript], [[Politico]] (27 November 2017)</ref> with the number of Russian and separatist troops remaining in the region estimated at 6,000 and 40,000 respectively.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 September 2017 |title=Kyiv says there are about 6,000 Russian soldiers, 40,000 separatists in Donbas |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/kyiv-says-6000-russian-soldiers-40000-separatists-donbas.html |access-date=16 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Christopher |date=30 January 2017 |title=Anxious Ukraine Risks Escalation In 'Creeping Offensive' |work=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-creeping-offensive-escalation-fighting/28268104.html |access-date=27 April 2018}}</ref> By the end of 2017, the [[OSCE]] observatory mission had accounted for around 30,000 individuals in military-style dress crossing from Russia to Donbas at the two border checkpoints it was allowed to [[OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine|monitor]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Response to Chief Observer of the Observer Mission at the Russian Border Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk {{!}} Statement to the PC |date=17 November 2016|url=https://osce.usmission.gov/response-chief-observer-observer-mission-russian-border-checkpoints-gukovo-donetsk-statement-pc/}}</ref> The OSCE has also documented numerous cases of military convoys crossing from the Russian Federation into the occupied territory on dirt roads away from official border crossings and usually at night.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Gone |first=Glasnost |date=12 June 2020 |title=The Routes Used by the Russian Army to Cross into Ukraine |url=https://glasnostgone.org/2020/06/12/the-routes-used-by-the-russian-army-to-cross-the-ukrainian-border/ |access-date=18 June 2020 |website=Glasnost Gone |language=en}}</ref>
Since the start of the conflict there have been 29 ceasefires, each intended to remain in force indefinitely, but none of them have stopped the violence.<ref name="7265424Donbass" /><ref name="tass1038447" /><ref name="tass.com/world/1027270">{{Cite news |date=23 October 2018 |title=Four DPR servicemen killed in shellings by Ukrainian troops in past week |agency=[[Information Telegraph Agency of Russia]] |url=http://tass.com/world/1027270 |access-date=28 October 2018}}</ref> The most successful attempt to halt the fighting was in 2016, when a ceasefire held for six consecutive weeks.<ref name="tass.com/world/1027270"/> Ukraine, Russia, the DPR, the LPR and the OSCE agreed to a roadmap for an end to the conflict on 1 October 2019.<ref name=bbc11oct1/> However, the conflict did not thaw since then and, by late summer 2020, still remained unresolved on multiple levels.<ref name="zelenskyy-high-chance" /><ref name="7265424Donbass" /> The latest ceasefire (29th)<ref name="7265424Donbass"/> came into force on 27 July 2020 which led to no Ukrainian combat losses for more than a month.<ref name="11123774Ukrainian" /><ref name="3086612presidentukraine" /><ref name="7265424Donbass" /> According to Ukrainian authorities, from 27 July 2020 until 7 November 2020 Ukrainian mortal losses decreased tenfold (three Ukrainian soldiers were killed) and the number of attacks decreased 5.5-fold.<ref name="3131969ukrinform"/> The first trimester of 2021 saw a large increase in Ukrainian fatalities (25, compared with 50 deaths in the whole of 2020) and the buildup of a large Russian military force on the Donbas-Russian border late March to early April 2021 and from [[2021-2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis|late October and November 2021]] onwards.<ref name="56678665Ukraineconflict"/>
== Background ==
{{Main|Maidan revolution|2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine|Historical background of the Russo-Ukrainian War#Donbas}}
In the 2000s, Russia's President [[Vladimir Putin]] began pursuing [[New Imperialism|neo-imperialist]] politics, using the [[Russian diaspora]] as its instrument. These territorial implications were already established with [[South Ossetia]] and [[Abkhazia]] in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], as well as [[Transnistria]] in [[Moldova]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Beyond Crimea: The New Russian Empire|first=Agnia|last=Grigas|authorlink=Agnia Grigas
|publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven, Connecticut|year=2016|isbn=9780300220766|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lMp5CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA3|pages=3–4}}</ref>
=== Donetsk Oblast ===
[[File:2014-03-09. Протесты в Донецке 019.jpg|thumb|left|Pro-Russian protesters in [[Donetsk]], 9 March 2014]]
Attempts to seize the Donetsk regional state administration (RSA) building began since [[2014 pro-Russian protests in Ukraine|pro-Russian protests]] erupted in the [[Eastern Ukraine|eastern]] and [[Southern Ukraine|southern]] regions of Ukraine, in the wake of the [[2014 Ukrainian revolution]]. Pro-Russian protesters occupied the Donetsk RSA from 1 to 6 March 2014, before being removed by the [[Security Service of Ukraine]] (SBU).<ref name="march6cbs">{{Cite news |date=6 March 2014 |title=Ukrainian city of Donetsk epitomizes country's crisis |publisher=CBS News |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukrainian-city-of-donetsk-epitomizes-countrys-crisis/ |access-date=7 March 2014}}</ref> On 6 April, 1,000–2,000 people gathered at a rally in Donetsk to demand a status [[referendum]] similar to the [[2014 Crimean status referendum|one held in Crimea]] in March.<ref name="BBC100a6414">{{Cite news |date=6 April 2014 |title=Ukraine: Pro-Russians storm offices in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26910210}}</ref> The demonstrators stormed the RSA building, and took control of its first two floors. They said that if an extraordinary legislative session was not held by regional officials to implement a status referendum, they would take control of the regional government with a "people's mandate", and dismiss all elected regional councillors and members of parliament.<ref name="UPravda1">{{Cite news |date=6 April 2014 |script-title=uk:Донецькі сепаратисти готуються сформувати "народну облраду" та приєднатися до РФ |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/6/7021524/ |website=[[Ukrayinska Pravda]] |language=uk}}</ref> As these demands were not met, the activists held a meeting in the RSA building, and voted in favour of independence from Ukraine. They proclaimed the [[Donetsk People's Republic]] (DPR) on 7 April 2014.<ref name="BBCtha">[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26919928 Ukraine crisis: Protesters declare Donetsk 'republic'], [[BBC News]] (7 April 2014)</ref>
=== Luhansk Oblast ===
{{See also|Luhansk People's Republic}}
Unrest in Luhansk Oblast began on 6 April, when approximately 1,000 activists seized and occupied the [[Security Service of Ukraine|SBU]] building in the city of [[Luhansk]], following similar occupations in the cities of [[Donetsk]] and [[Kharkiv]].<ref name="globalpost.com">{{Cite web |title=Ukraine's eastern hot spots |url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140416/ukraines-eastern-hot-spots |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421235710/http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140416/ukraines-eastern-hot-spots |archive-date=21 April 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=GlobalPost}}</ref> Protesters barricaded the building, and demanded that all arrested separatist leaders be released.<ref name="globalpost.com" /> Police were able to retake control of the building, but the demonstrators regathered for a 'people's assembly' outside the building and called for a 'people's government', demanding either federalisation or incorporation into the [[Russian Federation]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alan Yuhas and Tom McCarthy |date=16 April 2014 |title=Crisis in east Ukraine: a city-by-city guide to the spreading conflict |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/16/crisis-east-ukraine-city-by-city-guide-map |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> At this assembly, they elected [[Valery Bolotov]] to the position of "People's Governor".<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 November 2013 |title=В Луганске выбрали "народного губернатора" | Донбасс | Вести |url=http://vesti-ukr.com/donbass/48519-v-lugansve-vybrali-narodnogo-gubernatora |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Vesti.ua}}</ref>
Two referendums were announced, one on 11 May to determine whether the region should seek some form of autonomy, and a second scheduled for 18 May to determine whether the region should join the Russian Federation, or declare independence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=У Луганську сепаратисти вирішили провести два референдуми | Українська правда |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/21/7023176/ |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Ukrayinska Pravda}}</ref> The [[Luhansk People's Republic]] (LPR) was declared on 27 April.<ref name="en.itar-tass.com">{{Cite news |date=20 May 2010 |title=ITAR-TASS: World – Federalization supporters in Luhansk proclaim people's republic |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/729768 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Representatives of the Republic demanded that Ukrainian government provide amnesty for all protesters, enshrine Russian as an official language, and hold a referendum on the status of the region.<ref name="en.itar-tass.com" /> They issued an ultimatum that stated that if Kyiv did not meet their demands by 14:00 on 29 April, they would launch an insurgency in tandem with that of the [[Donetsk People's Republic]].<ref name="en.itar-tass.com" />
== History ==
{{See also|Timeline of the war in Donbas}}
=== April 2014: conflict begins ===
On 12 April, unmarked pro-Russian militants seized the [[Donetsk]] city office of the [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)|Ministry of Internal Affairs]] and two other police offices in the oblast, although they were repelled after an assault on the general prosecutor's office and failed to take a police office in the city of [[Shakhtarsk]].<ref name=kpslov /> Following negotiations between the militants and those in the building, the chief of the office resigned from his post.<ref name="kpslov" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 April 2014 |title=Сепаратисти змусили керівника Донецької облміліції піти у відставку |work=Ukrainska Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/12/7022201/}}</ref> Officers from the [[Berkut (special police force)|Berkut]] special police force, which had been dissolved by the government following the February revolution, took part in the seizure on the separatists' side.<ref name="teleapr12">{{Cite news |last=Oliphant |first=Roland |date=12 April 2014 |title=Fears of full-scale Russian invasion as eastern Ukraine cities toppled |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10763008/Fears-of-full-scale-Russian-invasion-as-eastern-Ukraine-cities-toppled.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10763008/Fears-of-full-scale-Russian-invasion-as-eastern-Ukraine-cities-toppled.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> After having gained control of the Donetsk RSA and having declared the Donetsk People's Republic, pro-Russian groups vowed to fan out and take control of strategic infrastructure across Donetsk Oblast, and demanded that public officials who wished to continue their work swear allegiance to the Republic.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Baczynska |first=Gabriela |date=14 April 2014 |title=Separatists in Ukraine's Donetsk vow to take full control of region |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-donetsk-idUSBREA3D1A320140414 |access-date=28 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414220714/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/14/us-ukraine-crisis-donetsk-idUSBREA3D1A320140414 |archive-date=14 April 2014}}</ref>
By 14 April, pro-Russian militants led by former [[GRU]] operatives [[Igor Girkin]] and [[Igor Bezler]] had taken control of government buildings in many other cities within the [[oblast]], including [[Sloviansk]], [[Mariupol]], [[Horlivka]], [[Kramatorsk]], [[Yenakiieve]], [[Makiivka]], [[Druzhkivka]], and [[Zhdanivka]].<ref name="gorlovkafox">{{Cite news |date=14 April 2014 |title=Another government building in eastern Ukraine attacked by pro-Russia militants |publisher=Fox News |url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/04/14/deadline-for-pro-russian-gunmen-to-leave-ukraine-government-buildings-passes/ |access-date=14 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414104652/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/04/14/deadline-for-pro-russian-gunmen-to-leave-ukraine-government-buildings-passes/ |archive-date=14 April 2014}}</ref><ref name="zhdanovka">{{Cite news |date=14 April 2014 |title=Activists easily seize local council building in Donetsk region's Zhdanovka |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/activists-easily-seize-local-council-building-in-donetsk-regions-zhdanovka-343434.html |access-date=14 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904150402/https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/activists-easily-seize-local-council-building-in-donetsk-regions-zhdanovka-343434.html |archive-date=4 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="ded33">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=39–40 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref> Following this seizure of the Donetsk RSA, the militants began to expand their control across the city. The municipal administration building was stormed and occupied by the insurgents on 16 April.<ref name="april16wapo">{{Cite news |date=16 April 2014 |title=Ukrainian troop defections escalate tensions in eastern Ukraine |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2014/04/16/4d36b1b6-c532-11e3-b574-f8748871856a_story.html |access-date=16 April 2014}}</ref> Further actions by the separatists resulted in the capture of the offices of the regional state television network on 27 April.<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 April 2014 |title=Separatists seize control of TV HQ in east Ukraine city |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-separatists-tv-idUSBREA3Q0CZ20140427 |access-date=28 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427204110/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/27/us-ukraine-separatists-tv-idUSBREA3Q0CZ20140427 |archive-date=27 April 2014}}</ref> After capturing the broadcasting centre, the militants began to broadcast Russian television channels. On 4 May, the flag of the Donetsk People's Republic was raised over the police headquarters in Donetsk city proper.<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 May 2014 |script-title=ru:Донецкие милиционеры повесили на гору правлении сепаратистский флаг |language=ru |trans-title=Donetsk militia hung the separatist flag |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |url=http://www.unian.net/politics/914424-donetskie-militsioneryi-povesili-na-gorupravlenii-separatistskiy-flag.html |access-date=14 May 2014}}</ref>
A number of interviews given in 2019–2020 by participants on the Russian side (including [[Igor Strelkov (officer)|Girkin]], [[Igor Bezler|Bezler]], [[Pavel Gubarev|Gubarev]] and others) revealed that the initial idea to take control of Donbas towns was passed on to Donetsk "People's Governor" [[Pavel Gubarev]] by [[Sergey Glazyev]], an advisor to Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] at that time. Gubarev's team met Girkin's as it entered Ukraine from Russia, and the original plan was to capture [[Shakhtarsk]] first, as it was much closer to both the Russo-Ukrainian border and the Russian military base in [[Rostov-on-Don]]. The decision to attack Sloviansk instead was made after Girkin's group crossed the border, supposedly due to the presence of a larger group of pro-Russian activists ready to support their cause in the town. Military and financial support for the group was provided by [[Sergey Aksyonov]] and [[Konstantin Malofeev]]. ''[[Novaya Gazeta]]'' summarised the situation as "a group of poorly prepared mercenaries turning a whole region into a bloodbath" and concluded that Russia "will bear moral and political responsibility for its civilian casualties as long as its participants are not taken to court".<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Бесславные гибриды |url=https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2020/07/17/86300-besslavnye-gibridy |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=Новая газета – Novayagazeta.ru |language=ru}}</ref>
{{See also|Glazyev tapes}}
In response to the widening unrest, the acting Ukrainian President, [[Oleksandr Turchynov]], vowed to launch an "Anti-Terrorist Operation" (ATO) against separatist movements in Donetsk Oblast.<ref name="news.biharprabha.com">{{Cite news |title=Pro-Russian Group in Donetsk declare independence from Ukraine |publisher=news.biharprabha.com |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/04/pro-russian-group-in-donetsk-declare-independence-from-ukraine/ |access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref> The Minister of Internal Affairs, [[Arsen Avakov]], said on 9 April that the unrest in Donetsk Oblast would be resolved within 48 hours, either through negotiations or the use of force. President Oleksandr Turchynov signed a decree to retake the Donetsk RSA building, and place it "under state protection",<ref name="cnn.com">{{Cite news |last1=Laura Smith-Spark |last2=Kellie Morgan |date=10 April 2014 |title=Ukraine unrest will be resolved by force or talks in 48 hours, minister says |publisher=CNN |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/09/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html |access-date=30 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="Ukrainska Pravda">{{Cite news |date=9 April 2014 |script-title=uk:Турчинов наказав взяти під держохорону будівлю Донецької ОДА |language=uk |trans-title=Turchynov ordered to take the Donetsk Regional State Administration building under state protection |work=Ukrainian Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/9/7021915/ |access-date=26 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826105357/http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/9/7021915/ |archive-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> and offered amnesty to the demonstrators if they laid down their arms.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 April 2014 |script-title=ru:Турчинов готов освободить сепаратистов без криминала, если они сложат оружие |trans-title=Turchynov ready to release the separatists without charges if they lay down their weapons |url=http://novosti.dn.ua/details/222329/ |access-date=28 July 2015 |publisher=Novosti.dn |language=ru}}</ref>
=== Expansion of separatist territorial control ===
==== Sloviansk ====
{{Main|Siege of Sloviansk}}
[[File:2014-04-14 Sloviansk city council - 2.jpg|thumbnail|left|Pro-Russian insurgents occupying the Sloviansk city administration building, 14 April 2014]]
A group of masked pro-Russian militants under the command of a retired [[Federal Security Service (Russia)|FSB]] officer [[Igor Girkin]] took control of the city administration building, police offices, and SBU building in [[Sloviansk]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bidder |first=Benjamin |title=Russian Far-Right Idol: The Man Who Started the War in Ukraine |work=Der Spiegel |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/the-ukraine-war-from-perspective-of-russian-nationalists-a-1023801.html |access-date=27 August 2015 |quote=But his big moment would only come later. In April 2014, Strelkov, joined by armed irregulars from Russia, marched from Crimea to the provincial city of Sloviansk, which is strategically located between the population centers of Donetsk and Kharkiv. "In the beginning, nobody there wanted to fight," Strelkov recalls. He and his men attacked a police station in Sloviansk and created facts on the ground.}}</ref> a city in the northern part of Donetsk Oblast, on 12 April.<ref name="kpslov">{{Cite news |last=Mark Rachkevych |date=12 April 2014 |title=Armed pro-Russian extremists launch coordinated attacks in Donetsk Oblast, seize buildings and set up checkpoints |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/armed-pro-russian-extremists-seize-police-stations-in-donetsks-slavyansk-shaktarysk-fail-to-take-donetsk-prosecutors-office-343195.html |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> After militants took over the city, Sloviansk mayor [[Nelya Shtepa]] briefly appeared at an occupied police station, and expressed support for the militants.<ref name=kpslov /> Others gathered outside the building and similarly voiced their support for the militants. They told Ukrainian journalists who were reporting on the situation to "go back to [[Kyiv]]".<ref name="kpslov" /> Nelya Shtepa was later detained by the insurgents, and replaced by the self-proclaimed "people's mayor" [[Vyacheslav Ponomarev (public figure)|Vyacheslav Ponomarev]].<ref name=teleapr12 />
The militants gained control of the city's police weapons cache and seized hundreds of firearms, which prompted the Ukrainian government to launch a "counter-terrorism" operation to retake the city.<ref name=teleapr12 /> This government counter-offensive began on the morning of 13 April.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Salem |first=Harriet |date=10 June 2014 |title=Sloviansk's 'People's Mayor' Rumored to Be Detained By Own Forces in Ukraine |url=https://news.vice.com/article/sloviansks-peoples-mayor-rumored-to-be-detained-by-own-forces-in-ukraine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714160613/https://news.vice.com/article/sloviansks-peoples-mayor-rumored-to-be-detained-by-own-forces-in-ukraine |archive-date=14 July 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=News.vice.com}}</ref> As a result, an entrenched standoff between pro-Russian forces and the [[Armed Forces of Ukraine]] ensued, marking the start of combat in Donbas.<ref name="BBC17DEC">{{Cite news |date=17 December 2014 |title=The Russians fighting a 'holy war' in Ukraine |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30518054 |access-date=17 December 2014}}</ref> The city remained under siege until 5 July, when Ukrainian forces recaptured it, with an estimated 15,000–20,000 people displaced by the fighting.<ref name=5BBC7/> Mayor Shtepa was arrested on 11 July 2014 for allegedly colluding with pro-Russian forces.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 March 2015 |title=Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine: 1 December 2014 to 15 February 2015 |url=http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/9thOHCHRreportUkraine.pdf#sthash.HFQs2pv2.dpuf |access-date=3 March 2015 |publisher=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |page=18 |format=PDF}}</ref>
Shortly after taking control over Sloviansk, Girkin's group executed a member of town council [[Volodymyr Ivanovych Rybak]] as well as four other citizens of Ukraine, including 25-years old Yuri Dyakovsky and an unnamed 19-year-old man. Girkin took responsibility for these executions in 2020, even though in the preceding years he and other pro-Russian militants claimed Rybak had been released from custody.<ref name=":2" />
==== Kramatorsk ====
{{Main|Battle of Kramatorsk}}
In [[Kramatorsk]], a city in northern Donetsk Oblast, separatists attacked a police station on 13 April, resulting in a shootout.<ref name="pravdaapr12">{{Cite news |date=12 April 2014 |script-title=uk:На Донбасі сепаратисти і міліція влаштували перестрілку |language=uk |trans-title=Separatists and police engaged in a gunfight in Kramatorsk |work=Ukrainian Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/12/7022218/}}</ref> The fighters, members of the [[Russian separatist forces in Donbas|Donbas People's Militia]], later captured the police station. They removed the police station's sign and raised the flag of the Donetsk People's Republic over the building.<ref name="militaproof">{{Cite news |date=12 April 2014 |title=Приїжджі загарбники в Краматорську назвалися "народним ополченням" |work=Ukrainska Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/12/7022227/}}</ref> They then issued an ultimatum that stated that if the city's mayor and administration did not swear allegiance to the Republic by the following Monday, they would remove them from office.<ref name=militaproof /> Concurrently, a crowd of demonstrators surrounded the city administration building, captured it, and raised the Donetsk People's Republic flag over it. A representative of the Republic addressed locals outside the occupied police station, but was received negatively and booed.<ref name=militaproof />
After a government counter-offensive as part of the "Anti-Terrorist Operation" in Donetsk Oblast on 2–3 May, the insurgents were routed from Kramatorsk's occupied SBU building.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite news |date=4 May 2014 |script-title=ru:Украинские войска вышли из Краматорска |language=ru |trans-title=Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from Kramatorsk |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |url=http://www.unian.net/politics/914397-ukrainskie-voyska-vyishli-iz-kramatorska-smi.html |access-date=14 May 2014}}</ref> Despite this, Ukrainian troops quickly withdrew from the city for unknown reasons, and the separatists quickly regained control. Sporadic fighting continued until 5 July, when the insurgents withdrew from Kramatorsk.<ref name="BBCkramawith" />
==== Horlivka ====
{{Main|Battle of Horlivka}}
Militants attempted to seize the police headquarters in [[Horlivka]] on 12 April, but were halted. ''[[Ukrayinska Pravda]]'' reported that police said that the purpose of the attempted seizure was to gain access to a weapons cache.<ref name="MVDWeapons">{{Cite news |date=12 April 2014 |script-title=uk:У Горлівці міліція відбила атаку сепаратистів на "зброю МВС" |language=uk |trans-title=Horlivka police repelled a separatist attack on "Ministry of Internal Affairs weapons" |agency=Ukrainian Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/12/7022226/ |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> They said that they would use force if needed to defend the building from "criminals and terrorists".<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 April 2014 |script-title=ru:Горловские милиционеры во всеоружии и готовы обороняться |language=ru |trans-title=Horlivka militiamen fully armed and ready to defend |agency=Novosti.dn |url=http://novosti.dn.ua/details/222549/ |url-status=dead |access-date=28 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722094612/http://novosti.dn.ua/details/222549/ |archive-date=22 July 2015}}</ref> By 14 April, however, militants had captured the building after a tense standoff with the police.<ref name="gorlovkafox" /> Some members of the local police unit had defected to the Donetsk People's Republic earlier in the day, whilst the remaining officers were forced to retreat, allowing the insurgents to take control of the building.<ref name="gorlovkaeuronews">{{Cite news |date=14 April 2014 |title=Pro-Russian attack police HQ in Horlivka as Kyiv's deadline expires |work=Euronews |url=http://www.euronews.com/2014/04/14/live-ukraine-pro-russian-attack-police-hq-in-horlivka/ |access-date=14 April 2014}}</ref> The local chief of police was captured and badly beaten by the insurgents.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 April 2014 |script-title=uk:Аваков: Керівник міліції Горлівки – справжній офіцер – побитий, але живий |language=uk |trans-title=Avakov: The Head of Police of Horlivka – a true officer – is battered but alive |agency=Ukrainian Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/14/7022432/ |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> A Horlivka city council deputy, [[Volodymyr Ivanovych Rybak|Volodymyr Rybak]], was kidnapped by masked men believed to be pro-Russian militants on 17 April. His body was later found in a river on 22 April.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 April 2014 |script-title=ru:В реке на Донетчине нашли тело мужчины, похожего на пропавшего депутата из Горловки |language=ru |trans-title=A man's body, resembling the missing Horlivka councilor, has been found in a river in the Donetsk Region |url=http://www.unian.net/politics/910433-v-reke-na-donetchine-nashli-telo-mujchinyi-pohojego-na-propavshego-deputata-iz-gorlovki-smi.html |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> The city administration building was seized on 30 April, solidifying separatist control over Horlivka.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 April 2014 |title=Pro-Russian separatists seize buildings in east Ukraine's Horlivka |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/pro-russian-separatists-seize-buildings-in-east-ukraines-horlivka/article18335644/ |access-date=30 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430163031/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/try-it-now/?articleId=18335644 |archive-date=30 April 2014}}</ref> Self-proclaimed mayor of Horlivka Volodymyr Kolosniuk was arrested by the SBU on suspicion of participation in "terrorist activities" on 2 July.
==== Mariupol ====
{{2013–2014 unrest in Ukraine}}
{{main|Battle of Mariupol}}
Donetsk People's Republic activists took control of the city administration building in Mariupol on 13 April.<ref name="voicesevas.ru">[http://voicesevas.ru/news/yugo-vostok/309-mariupol-podnjalsja-protiv-hunty-zahvach.html Голос Севастополя (Voice of Sevastopol)], ''Мариуполь поднялся против хунты. Захвачен городской совет, возводятся баррикады [Mariupol rose against the junta. Captured the city council and erected barricades]'', 13 April 2014.</ref> The Ukrainian government claimed to have "liberated" the building on 24 April, but this was denied by locals interviewed by the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] near the building.<ref>{{Cite news |last=<!--staff writer(s); no by-line--> |date=25 April 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: BBC investigates Mariupol 'liberation' claims |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27153649 |access-date=1 July 2014}}</ref>
Clashes between government forces and pro-Russian groups escalated in early May when the city administration building was briefly retaken by the Ukrainian National Guard. The pro-Russian forces quickly took the building back.<ref name="aljazeera.com">{{Cite news |last=Varshalomidze |first=Tamila |date=26 June 2014 |title=Timeline: Ukraine's pro-Russian unrest |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2014/05/timeline-ukraine-pro-russian-unrest-20145912017783471.html |access-date=27 November 2015}}</ref> Militants then launched an attack on a local police station, leading the Ukrainian government to send in military forces. Skirmishes between the troops and local demonstrators caused the city administration building to be set on fire. Government forces, however, were unsuccessful in forcing out the pro-Russians, and only further inflamed tensions in Mariupol.<ref name="aljazeera.com" /> On 16 May, however, [[Metinvest]] steelworkers, along with local police and security forces, routed the insurgents from the city administration and other occupied government buildings in the city.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 May 2014 |title=Ukraine: Pro-Russian insurgents retreat from buildings in Mariupol |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-pro-russian-insurgents-retreat-from-buildings-in-mariupol-1.2644943 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Most insurgents left the city, and those few remaining were said to be unarmed. Despite this, the headquarters of the Donetsk People's Republic in the city remained untouched, and pro-Russian demonstrators could still be seen outside the burnt city administration.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Richard Allen Greene |date=19 May 2014 |title=Who's in charge here? In one eastern Ukrainian city, answer isn't clear |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/18/world/europe/mariupol-urkraine-leadership-vacuum/ |access-date=4 June 2015}}</ref>
Ukrainian troops gained control of the city on 13 June, with assistance from the National Guard.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 June 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: Government troops recapture the port city of Mariupol |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-government-troops-recapture-port-city-of-mariupol-1.2674375 |access-date=5 July 2014}}</ref> The headquarters of the DPR was captured. Mariupol was then declared the provisional capital of Donetsk Oblast, in place of Donetsk city, which was occupied by separatists.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 June 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: Kiev forces win back Mariupol |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27829773 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>
==== Other cities ====
Many smaller cities across the Donbas fell to the separatists.
In [[Artemivsk, Donetsk Oblast|Artemivsk]] on 12 April, separatists failed to capture the local Ministry of Internal Affairs office, but instead captured the city administration building and raised the DPR flag over it.<ref>[http://www.unian.net/politics/907230-separatistyi-podnyali-svoy-flag-nad-gorsovetom-artemovska.html Unian], ''Сепаратисты подняли свой флаг над горсоветом Артемовска [Separatists have raised their flag over the Artemivsk city council building]'', 13 April 2014.</ref> The city administration buildings in [[Yenakiieve]] and [[Druzhkivka]] were also captured.<ref name="20AprilDeparture">[http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/20/7023098/ Ukrainska Pravda], ''З Єнакієва зникли сепаратисти, які блокували міськраду [The separatists that blocked Yenakiyevo city council have disappeared]'', 20 April 2014.</ref> Police repelled an attack by pro-Russian militants upon an office of the [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)|Ministry of Internal Affairs]] in [[Krasnyi Lyman]] on 12 April, but the building was later captured by the separatists after a skirmish.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine Crisis: Another police building seized in east |url=http://www.ghanaiannews.ca/ukraine-crisis-another-police-building-seized-in-east/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014053700/http://www.ghanaiannews.ca/ukraine-crisis-another-police-building-seized-in-east/ |archive-date=14 October 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Ghanaiannews.ca}}</ref> Insurgents affiliated with the Donbas People's Militia occupied a regional administration building in [[Khartsyzk]] on 13 April, followed by a local administration building in [[Zhdanivka]] on 14 April.<ref name="zhdanovka" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 September 2014 |title=Timeline: Ukraine's political crisis |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2014/9/20/timeline-ukraines-political-crisis |access-date=20 September 2014}}</ref>
Demonstrators hoisted the flag of the DPR over the city administration buildings in [[Krasnoarmiisk]] and [[Novoazovsk]] on 16 April.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 April 2014 |title=Protesters hoist Donetsk People's Republic's flag in Novoazovsk, Krasnoarmeisk |work=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/728259 |access-date=23 April 2014}}</ref> The local administration building in [[Siversk]] was similarly captured on 18 April. Following the takeover, local police announced that they would co-operate with the activists.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 April 2014 |title=Eastern Ukraine's Pro-Russian Activists Stand Fast |publisher=The Wall Street Jounrla |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304626304579509100018004342}}</ref> On 20 April, separatists in Yenakiieve left the city administration building there which they had occupied since 13 April.<ref name=20AprilDeparture/> Despite this, by 27 May the city was still not under Ukrainian government control.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kaminski |first=Matthew |date=27 May 2014 |title=Matthew Kaminski: Contending With Putin's Hand in Ukraine's Badlands – WSJ |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/matthew-kaminski-contending-with-putins-hand-in-ukraines-badlands-1401233457 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Pro-Russian demonstrators in [[Kostiantynivka]] burnt down the offices of a newspaper that had been critical of the DPR on 22 April.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 April 2014 |title=Ukrainian newspaper office burned down after threats |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/apr/24/ukraine-press-freedom |access-date=28 April 2014}}</ref>
70 to 100 insurgents armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers attacked an armoury in Artemivsk on 24 April.<ref name="depotaz">{{Cite news |date=24 April 2014 |title=Eastern cities Artemivsk, Mariupol latest targets in Ukraine anti-terror operation |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-armed-forces-repel-attack-by-gunmen-on-military-compound-in-artemivsk-344883.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424133534/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-armed-forces-repel-attack-by-gunmen-on-military-compound-in-artemivsk-344883.html |archive-date=24 April 2014}}</ref> The depot housed around 30 [[Tank (vehicle)|tanks]]. Ukrainian troops attempted to fight off the insurgents, but were forced to retreat after a substantial number of men were wounded by insurgent fire.<ref name=depotaz/> The Minister of Internal Affairs, [[Arsen Avakov]], said that the insurgents were led by a man with "an extensive beard", referring to the Russian militant Alexander Mozhaev.<ref name=depotaz/> Some 30 militants seized the police headquarters in Konstantinovka on 28 April.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 April 2014 |title=Separatists Seize Konstantinovka Police Headquarters in Eastern Ukraine |work=The Moscow Times |url=https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/pro-russian-separatists-seize-government-buildings-in-konstantinovka-34705 |access-date=28 April 2014}}</ref> On the next day, a city administration building in [[Pervomaisk, Luhansk Oblast|Pervomaisk]] was overrun by [[Luhansk People's Republic]] insurgents, who then raised their flag over it.<ref name="ReferenceA" /><ref name="lugradar.net">{{Cite web |date=30 April 2014 |script-title=ru:Красный Луч и Первомайск "слились". Кто дальше? |trans-title=Krasnyi Luch and Pervomaisk have "merged." Who next? |url=http://lugradar.net/2014/04/13915 |access-date=14 May 2014 |publisher=Lugradar.net |language=ru}}</ref> On the same day, militants seized control over the city administration building in [[Alchevsk]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 December 2013 |title=Maidan opponents seize Alchevsk city council – media – News – Politics – The Voice of Russia: News, Breaking news, Politics, Economics, Business, Russia, International current events, Expert opinion, podcasts, Video |url=http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_30/Maidan-opponents-seize-Alchevsk-city-council-media-0782/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513010816/http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_30/Maidan-opponents-seize-Alchevsk-city-council-media-0782/ |archive-date=13 May 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014 |publisher=The Voice of Russia}}</ref> In [[Krasnyi Luch]], the city administration conceded to demands by separatist activists to support the [[2014 Donetsk and Luhansk status referendums|referendums on the status of Donetsk and Luhansk]] being held on 11 May, and followed by raising the Russian flag over the city administration building.<ref name="lugradar.net" />
Insurgents occupied the city administration building in [[Stakhanov, Ukraine|Stakhanov]] on 1 May. Later in the week, they captured the local police station, business centre, and SBU building.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Никаких националистических идей у нас нет. Мы просто за единую Украину и … – Газета "ФАКТЫ и комментарии |url=http://fakty.ua/181184-nikakih-nacionalisticheskih-idej-u-nas-net-my-prosto-za-edinuyu-ukrainu-i-ne-hotim-v-rossiyu |access-date=14 May 2014 |publisher=Fakty.ua}}</ref> Activists in [[Rovenky]] occupied a police building on 5 May, but quickly left it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Жительница города Ровеньки: "Люди не понимают, что такое "Луганская республика", но референдума хотят" (Люди рассказывают, что не доверяют новой власти, ждут, когда их освободят от "нехороших людей", и хотят остаться в составе Украины) |url=http://gigamir.net/news/kyiv/pub795629 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140509010721/http://gigamir.net/news/kyiv/pub795629 |archive-date=9 May 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014 |publisher=Gigamir.net}}</ref> On the same day, the police headquarters in [[Slovianoserbsk]] was seized by members of the [[Army of the South-East]], which is affiliated with the Luhansk People's Republic.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 May 2014 |script-title=ru:Славяносербская милиция перешла на сторону сепаратистов |trans-title=Slavyanoserbsk militia sided with the separatists |url=http://lugradar.net/2014/05/13992 |access-date=14 May 2014 |publisher=Lugradar.net |language=ru}}</ref> The town of [[Antratsyt]] was occupied by a number of renegade [[Don Cossacks]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 May 2014 |title=Putin's Tourists Enter Ukraine | Dmitry Tymchuk |work=HuffPost |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dmitry-tymchuk/putin-ukraine-separatists_b_5274906.html |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Insurgents went on to seize the prosecutor's office in [[Sievierodonetsk]] on 7 May.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Северодонецк: сепаратисты захватили здание прокуратуры " ИИИ "Поток" | Главные новости дня |url=http://potok.ua/2014/05/08/severodoneck-separatisty-zaxvatili-zdanie-prokuratury.html |access-date=14 May 2014 |publisher=Potok.ua}}</ref> On the next day, supporters of the Luhansk People's Republic captured government buildings in [[Starobilsk]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=КИУ: Вчера в Старобельске штурмовали райгосадминистрацию |url=http://www.obzor.lg.ua/news/starobelsk35698 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513052246/http://www.obzor.lg.ua/news/starobelsk35698 |archive-date=13 May 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=OBZOR.lg.ua}}</ref>
=== Government counter-offensive: the Anti-Terrorist Operation ===
[[File:2014-04-15. Протесты в Донецке 001.jpg|thumb|left|The barricade outside the Donetsk RSA, with a slogan that asks the EU and US to "go home", alluding to claims of a Western intervention.]]
[[Arsen Avakov]], the Minister of Internal Affairs, said on 9 April that the separatist problem would be resolved within 48 hours through either negotiations or the use of force. According to the [[Ukrinform]] state-news agency, he said: "There are two opposite ways for resolving this conflict – a political dialogue and the heavy-handed approach. We are ready for both." At the time, President [[Oleksandr Turchynov]] had already signed a decree which called for the Donetsk regional state administration building, which had been occupied by separatists, to be taken "under state protection".<ref name="cnn.com" /><ref name="Ukrainska Pravda" /> He offered amnesty to any separatists who laid down their arms and surrendered.<ref>[http://novosti.dn.ua/details/222329/ Novosti Donetsk], ''Турчинов готов освободить сепаратистов без криминала, если они сложат оружие [Turchynov ready to release the separatists without charges, if they lay down their weapons]'', 10 April 2014.</ref> By 11 April, the Prime Minister, [[Arseniy Yatsenyuk]], said that he was against the use of "law enforcement" at the time, but that "there was a limit" to how much the Ukrainian government would tolerate.<ref>[http://novosti.dn.ua/details/222442/ Novosti Donetsk], ''"Я против силовых сценариев, но всему есть предел", – Яценюк ["I am against law enforcement scenarios, but there is a limit" – Yatsenyuk]'', 11 April 2014.</ref>
In response to the spread of separatist control throughout Donetsk Oblast, and the refusal of the separatists to lay down their arms, Turchynov vowed to launch a military counter-offensive operation, called the "Anti-Terrorist Operation", against insurgents in the region on 15 April.<ref name="news.biharprabha.com" /> As part of the counter-offensive, Ukrainian troops re-took the airfield in [[Kramatorsk]] after a skirmish with members of the Donbas People's Militia. According to Russian media, at least four people died as a result.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kramer |first=Andrew E. |date=15 April 2014 |title=Ukraine Sends Force to Stem Unrest in East |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/16/world/europe/ukraine-russia.html |access-date=7 November 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
After the Armed Forces of Ukraine re-took the airfield, the commanding general of the unit that had retaken it, [[Vasyl Krutov]], was surrounded by hostile protesters who demanded to know why the Ukrainian troops had fired upon local residents.<ref name="krutovguardian">{{Cite news |date=15 April 2014 |title=Troops fire as locals in Kramatorsk confront Ukraine general Vasily Krutov |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/15/troops-fire-mob-ukraine-oleksandr-turchynov-general-vasily-krutov |access-date=14 April 2014}}</ref> Krutov was then dragged back to the airbase along with his unit. They were then blocked by the protesters, who vowed not to let the troops leave the base.<ref name=krutovguardian/> Krutov later told reporters that "if they [the separatists] do not lay down their arms, they will be destroyed".<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 April 2014 |title=Ukraine counter-attack as troops storm separatist positions |work=Daily Mirror |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/ukraine-counter-attack-troops-storm-3417939 |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref>
Donbas People's Militia insurgents entered [[Sloviansk]] on 16 April, along with six [[armoured personnel carrier]]s they claimed to have obtained from the [[25th Airborne Brigade (Ukraine)|25th Airborne Brigade]], which had surrendered in the city of [[Kramatorsk]].<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-combat-vehicles-with-pro-russian-troops-enter-town-1.2611783 CBC], ''Ukraine crisis: combat vehicles with pro-Russian troops enter town'', 16 April 2014.</ref>
Reports say members of the brigade were disarmed after the vehicles were blocked from passing by angry locals.<ref name="BBC16Apr14">{{Cite news |date=16 April 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: Military column 'seized' in Kramatorsk |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27053500 |access-date=17 April 2014}}</ref> In another incident, several hundred residents of the village of Pchyolkino, south of Sloviansk, surrounded another column of 14 Ukrainian armoured vehicles. Following negotiations, the troops were allowed to drive their vehicles away, but only after agreeing to surrender the magazines from their assault rifles.<ref name=BBC16Apr14/> These incidents led President Turchynov to disband the 25th Airborne Brigade.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140417223308/http://un.ua/eng/article/504866.html UN Ukrainian News Agency], ''Turchynov Tells Defence Ministry Disestablish 25th Brigade of Air Assault Forces'', 17 April 2014.</ref> Three members of the Donbas People's Militia were killed, 11 wounded, and 63 were arrested after they attempted and failed to storm a [[National Guard of Ukraine|National Guard]] base in [[Mariupol]].<ref>[http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/3-russian-backed-militants-killed-in-attack-on-ukrainian-base-in-mariupol-343894.html Kyiv Post], ''Three Russian-backed militants killed in attack on Ukrainian base in Mariupol'', by Mark Rachkevych, 17 April 2014.</ref>
Turchynov relaunched the stalled counter-offensive against pro-Russian insurgents on 22 April, after two men, one a local politician, were found "tortured to death".<ref name="bbc22">{{Cite news |date=22 April 2014 |title=Ukraine alert as politician 'killed' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27118875}}</ref> The politician, [[Volodymyr Ivanovych Rybak|Volodymyr Rybak]], was found dead near [[Sloviansk]] after having been abducted by pro-Russian insurgents. Turchynov said that "the terrorists who effectively took the whole Donetsk Oblast hostage have now gone too far".<ref name=bbc22/> The Internal Affairs Ministry reported that the city of Sviatogorsk, near Sloviansk, was retaken by Ukrainian troops on 23 April.<ref name="GlobeAndMail23Apr14">[https://web.archive.org/web/20140423110841/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/kiev-ends-easter-truce-resumes-offensive-in-eastern-ukraine/article18121491/ The Globe and Mail], ''Ukraine has 'freed' eastern city, Kiev says as crackdown resumes'', 23 April 2014.</ref> In addition, the Defence Ministry said it had taken control over all points of strategic importance in the area around [[Kramatorsk]].<ref>[http://donbass.comments.ua/news/96329-ukrainskie-voennie-kontroliruyut.html Комментарии Донецк], ''Украинские военные контролируют все важные объекты Краматорска, – Минобороны [Ministry of Defence say that the Ukrainian military control all the important facilities Kramatorsk]'', 23 April 2014.</ref>
[[File:9 May in Sloviansk.jpg|thumb|left|Pro-separatist rally in Sloviansk, 9 May 2014]]
The Internal Affairs Minister, Arsen Avakov, said on 24 April that Ukrainian troops had captured the city administration in Mariupol, after [[Mariupol standoff|a clash]] with pro-Russian demonstrators there.<ref name="mariupolapril24reuters">{{Cite news |date=24 April 2014 |title=Separatists surround 'liberated' Ukraine city hall |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-mariupol-idUSBREA3N1C620140424 |access-date=28 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427035137/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/24/us-ukraine-crisis-mariupol-idUSBREA3N1C620140424 |archive-date=27 April 2014}}</ref> Despite this, a report by the BBC said that whilst it appeared that Ukrainian troops and the mayor of Mariupol did enter the building in the early morning, Ukrainian troops had abandoned it by the afternoon. Local pro-Russian activists blamed Ukrainian nationalists for the attack upon the building but said that the DPR had regained control. A representative of the Republic, [[Irina Voropoyeva]], said, "We, the Donetsk People's Republic, still control the building. There was an attempted provocation but now it's over."<ref name=mariupolapril24reuters/>
On the same day, Ukrainian government officials said that the Armed Forces had intended to retake the city of Sloviansk, but that an increased threat of "Russian invasion" halted these operations.<ref name=kp24/> Russian forces had mobilised within {{convert|10|km|mi|frac=4}} of the Ukrainian border.<ref name="kp24">{{Cite news |date=24 April 2014 |title=Senior security official: Anti-terror operation suspended as Russian troops amass on border |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/5-dead-one-wounded-as-anti-terror-operation-continues-in-sloviansk-live-updates-344902.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424133143/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/5-dead-one-wounded-as-anti-terror-operation-continues-in-sloviansk-live-updates-344902.html |archive-date=24 April 2014}}</ref> The officials said that seven troops were killed during the day's operations. President Turchynov issued a statement later in the day, and said that the "Anti-Terrorist Operation" would be resumed, citing the ongoing [[hostage crisis]] in [[Sloviansk]] as a reason.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 April 2014 |title=Антитеррористическая операция возобновлена – Турчинов: Новости УНИАН |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |url=http://www.unian.net/politics/911391-antiterroristicheskaya-operatsiya-vozobnovlena-turchinov.html |access-date=3 May 2014}}</ref> By 6 May 14 Ukrainian troops had died and 66 had been injured in the fighting.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 May 2014 |title=14 servicemen die, 66 injured during special operation in eastern Ukraine |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/14-servicemen-die-66-injured-during-special-operation-in-eastern-ukraine-346679.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508130729/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/14-servicemen-die-66-injured-during-special-operation-in-eastern-ukraine-346679.html |archive-date=8 May 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref>
[[File:Standoff between locals and Ukrainian forces in Mariupol, 9 May 2014 (6).jpg|thumb|Standoff between pro-Russian locals and Ukrainian forces in [[Mariupol]], 9 May 2014]]
Early in the morning on 7 May, the National Guard retook the city administration in Mariupol after heavy fighting with insurgents overnight.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 May 2014 |title=Putin cools rhetoric, but NATO disputes claims of troop pullback |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com//news/world/ukrainian-forces-retake-city-hall-in-eastern-port-of-mariupol/article18505621/?click=dlvr.it |access-date=14 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515123018/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/try-it-now/?articleId=18505621 |archive-date=15 May 2014}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=January 2021}} Anti-government demonstrators said that government forces had used tear gas during the operation, resulting in injuries when the demonstrators tried to re-occupy the building after the National Guard withdrew.<ref name="ada242daw">{{Cite news |last=Robinson |first=Matt |date=7 May 2014 |title=Ukraine forces briefly occupy city hall in eastern Mariupol |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-mariupol-idAFKBN0DN0XF20140507 |access-date=7 November 2020}}</ref> By the morning of 7 May, the flag of the DPR was once again flying over the building.<ref name="ada242daw" />
Ukrainian troops launched another attack on insurgents in Mariupol on 9 May. During an assault on an occupied police building, that building was set alight by government forces, causing the insurgents to flee.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Keegan |first=Simon |date=9 May 2014 |title=21 dead as Ukraine police station set on fire in a bid to drive out pro-Russians |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/mariupol-police-station-fire-21-3518352 |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Daily Mirror}}</ref> Arsen Avakov said that 60 insurgents attacked the police building, not Ukrainian troops and that the police and other government forces had managed to repel the insurgents. Between six and twenty militants were killed, along with one police officer.<ref name="newsinfo">{{Cite web |date=10 May 2014 |title=At least 7 dead in southeastern Ukraine port city |url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/601080/at-least-7-dead-in-southeastern-ukraine-port-city |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Philippine Daily Inquirer}}</ref> Four militants were captured, and five policemen were wounded.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine crisis: 'three people killed' in fighting at Mariupol police station |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/09/ukraine-crisis-mariupol-police-station |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=The Guardian|date=9 May 2014 }}</ref>
One armoured personnel carrier was captured by pro-Russian protesters during the fighting. After the clashes, pro-Russian forces built barricades across the city centre.<ref name="newsinfo" /> Concurrently, ''Ukrainian National News'' said that separatists attempted to disarm Ukrainian troops near Donetsk. The troops resisted by firing warning shots, and arresting 100 of the separatists.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 August 2013 |title=By Donetsk military detained about a hundred separatists |url=http://www.unn.com.ua/uk/news/1340433-za-donetskom-viyskovi-zatrimali-blizko-sotni-separatistiv |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Unn.com.ua}}</ref> Also, an unnamed [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)]] priest attempted to negotiate with separatists near [[Druzhkivka]], but was later killed after being shot eight times.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ЛIГАБiзнесIнформИнформационное агентство |date=9 May 2014 |title=Террористы убили православного священника – СМИ |url=http://news.liga.net/news/politics/1670990-terroristy_ubili_pravoslavnogo_svyashchennika_smi.htm |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=News.liga.net}}</ref> This was confirmed by the Church and the Prosecutor's Office.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 May 2014 |title=Ukrainian Orthodox Church confirms priest murdered in Donetsk region |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-orthodox-church-confirms-priest-murdered-in-donetsk-region-347180.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140902042404/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-orthodox-church-confirms-priest-murdered-in-donetsk-region-347180.html |archive-date=2 September 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref>
=== May 2014: post-referendum fighting ===
{{See also|Novorossiya (confederation)}}
[[File:2014-05-11. Референдум в Донецке 021.jpg|thumb|left|The [[2014 Donetsk and Luhansk status referendums|referendum]] organised by pro-Russian separatists. A line to enter a polling place in [[Donetsk]], 11 May 2014]]
[[File:Karlovka 23 May 2014.jpg|thumbnail|Church of the Holy Epiphany in Karlivka on 23 May]]
It was reported on 12 May that, following [[2014 Donetsk and Luhansk status referendums|the local autonomy referendum]], the [[Donbas People's Militia]] leader [[Igor Girkin]] declared himself "Supreme Commander" of the Donetsk People's Republic. In his decree, he demanded that all military stationed in the region swear an oath of allegiance to him within 48 hours, and said that all remaining Ukrainian military in the region would 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".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Daryna Krasnolutska |last2=Kateryna Choursina |last3=Anton Doroshev |date=12 May 2014 |title=Ukraine Rebels Seek to Join Russia as Gas Deadline Is Set |work=Bloomberg Business Week |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-05-12/russia-signals-respect-for-ukraine-s-separatist-referendums |access-date=12 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513065029/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-05-12/russia-signals-respect-for-ukraine-s-separatist-referendums |archive-date=13 May 2014}}</ref> [[Pavel Gubarev]], president of Donetsk People's Republic, instituted martial law on 15 May, and vowed for "total annihilation" of Ukrainian forces if they did not pull out of the [[Donbas]] by 21:00. Similarly, the president of the Luhansk People's Republic, [[Valery Bolotov]], declared martial law on 22 May.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 May 2014 |title=11 Ukrainian Soldiers Killed in Attack By Pro-Russian Separatists in East |publisher=Rttnews.com |url=http://www.rttnews.com/2326351/11-ukrainian-soldiers-killed-in-attack-by-pro-russian-separatists-in-east.aspx?type=gn |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>
The Donetsk-based steel magnate [[Rinat Akhmetov]] called on his 300,000 employees within the Donetsk region to "rally against separatists" on 20 May. Sirens sounded at noon at his factories to signal the beginning of the rally.<ref name="hewasin1city">{{Cite news |date=20 May 2014 |title=Ukrainian tycoon's calls for rallies against separatists go largely unheeded |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/ukrainian-tycoons-calls-for-rallies-against-separatists-go-largely-unheeded/2014/05/20/567deaae-e00e-11e3-9743-bb9b59cde7b9_story.html |access-date=20 May 2014}}</ref> A so-called "Peace March" was held in the [[Donbass Arena|Donbas Arena]] in [[Donetsk]] city, accompanied by cars sounding their horns at noon.<ref name="APM20514">[https://news.pn/en/politics/104499 Akhmetov called a strike at the enterprises in protest], Ukrainian Media Group (20 May 2014)<br />[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27483719 Ukrainian tycoon Rinat Akhmetov confronts rebellion], [[BBC News]] (20 May 2014)<br />[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/205611.html Akhmetov's "Peace March" in Donetsk took 20 minutes], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (20 May 2014)<br />[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/205526.html Businessman Akhmetov condemns 'genocide of Donbas,' calls for peaceful rally against 'Donetsk People's Republic'], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (20 May 2014)</ref> [[BBC News]] and ''[[Ukrayinska Pravda]]'' reported that some vehicles were attacked by separatists, and that gunmen had warned the offices of several city taxi services not to take part.<ref name=APM20514/> In response to Akhmetov's refusal to pay taxes to the Donetsk People's Republic, on 20 May the chairman of the State Council of the DPR, [[Denis Pushilin]], announced that the Republic would attempt to nationalise Akhmetov's assets.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 May 2014 |script-title=uk:Сепаратисти відповіли Ахметову оголошенням "націоналізації" |language=uk |trans-title=Separatists responded to Akhmetov with an announcement of "nationalisation" |agency=Ukrainian Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/05/20/7025874/ |access-date=30 July 2015}}</ref> On 25 May, between 2,000 and 5,000 protesters marched to Akhmetov's mansion in Donetsk city, and demanded the nationalisation of Akhmetov's property, while chanting "Akhmetov is an enemy of the people!".<ref name="itartassakhmetov">{{Cite news |date=25 May 2014 |title=Donetsk republic, Akhmetov's reps fail to agree on his companies' nationalization |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/733219 |access-date=27 May 2014}}</ref>
18 soldiers were killed during an insurgent attack upon an army checkpoint near the city of [[Volnovakha]], on 22 May.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 May 2014 |title=Ukrainian army death toll in Volnovakha soars to 18 |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-army-death-toll-in-volnovakha-soars-to-18-349005.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523225452/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-army-death-toll-in-volnovakha-soars-to-18-349005.html |archive-date=23 May 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref> Three armoured personnel carriers and several lorries were destroyed in the attack, whilst one insurgent was killed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 May 2014 |title=AP journalists see 11 dead at Ukraine checkpoint |agency=Associated Press |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/russian-trains-planes-move-army-away-ukraine |access-date=22 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522123057/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/russian-trains-planes-move-army-away-ukraine |archive-date=22 May 2014}}</ref> On the same day, a convoy consisting of 100 soldiers attempted to cross a bridge at [[Rubizhne]], Luhansk Oblast, and advance into insurgent-held territory.<ref name="KyivPost26May14">[http://www.kyivpost.com/multimedia/photo/burned-houses-military-vehicles-remain-after-fierce-fight-in-luhansk-oblast-that-killed-at-least-nine-people-on-may-22-349531.html Kyiv Post], ''Burned houses, military vehicles remain after a fierce fight in Luhansk Oblast that killed at least nine people on 22 May'', by [[Anastasia Vlasova (journalist)|Anastasia Vlasova]] and Oksana Grytsenko, 26 May 2014. This article is currently [29 June 2014] entitled: ''Reconstructing the deadly 22 May firefight near the Siversky Donets River in Luhansk Oblast'' on the newspaper website.</ref> They were ambushed by a group of between 300 and 500 insurgents. After fighting that lasted throughout the day, the soldiers were forced to retreat. Between two and fourteen soldiers and between seven and twenty insurgents were killed during the fighting. Three army infantry combat vehicles and one lorry were destroyed, and another three armoured vehicles were captured by the insurgents.<ref name=KyivPost26May14/><ref name="npr.org">{{Cite news |last=Alpert |first=Lukas I. |date=23 May 2014 |title=Putin Promises To Respect Ukraine's Election |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303749904579579601942418022 |access-date=14 October 2014}}</ref> The Internal Affairs Ministry stated that some insurgents had attempted to enter Luhansk Oblast from Russia, but had been repelled by border guards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine crisis: Seventeen killed in clashes with pro-Russian separatists near Donetsk – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |date=22 May 2014 |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-22/ukraine-deaths-in-clashes-with-pro-russian-separatists/5472190 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref>
Following a declaration by Pavel Gubarev establishing the "[[New Russia Party]]" on 22 May, representatives of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics signed an agreement creating the [[Confederation|confederative]] state of [[New Russia (state)|New Russia]]. Separatists planned to incorporate most of Ukraine's southern and eastern regions into the new confederation, including the key cities of [[Kharkiv]], [[Kherson]], [[Dnipropetrovsk]], [[Mykolaiv]], [[Zaporizhzhia]] and [[Odessa]].<ref name="NPUP23512">{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/05/23/7026209/ In Donetsk, created the party "New Russia"], [[Ukrayinska Pravda]] (23 May 2014)</ref> The declaration signed established the position of Russian Orthodoxy as the state religion and an intention to nationalise key industries.<ref name="welcomenr">{{Cite news |last=Babiak |first=Mat |date=22 May 2014 |title=Welcome to New Russia |work=Ukrainian Policy |url=http://ukrainianpolicy.com/welcome-to-new-russia/ |access-date=16 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523114538/http://ukrainianpolicy.com/welcome-to-new-russia/ |archive-date=23 May 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Secessionists barricade in Luhansk.jpg|right|thumb|Separatist barricade in [[Luhansk]] city]]
A unit of the pro-government [[Donbas Battalion]] volunteer paramilitary attempted to advance on a separatist checkpoint near the village of [[Karlivka, Donetsk Oblast|Karlivka]], northwest of Donetsk city, on 23 May.<ref name="battalionambushed">{{Cite web |last=Mark Rachkevych |date=23 May 2014 |title=Ukrainian Donbas Battalion ambushed in Donetsk Oblast village; at least five killed |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-donbas-battalion-ambushed-in-donetsk-oblast-village-at-least-one-killed-349026.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523183136/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-donbas-battalion-ambushed-in-donetsk-oblast-village-at-least-one-killed-349026.html |archive-date=23 May 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref> They were ambushed by a group of between 150 and 200 separatists, supported by one of the captured armoured personnel carriers. The pro-government paramilitary was surrounded by the separatists, and outnumbered six to one until fighters affiliated with the nationalist [[Right Sector]] broke through the separatist lines to allow some members of the group to escape.<ref name="battalionambushed" />
Five members of the Donbas Battalion were killed, along with four separatists.<ref name="battalionambushed" /> Twenty members of the pro-government paramilitaries were wounded, and at least four were captured. The involvement of Right Sector was disputed by the leadership of the Donbas Battalion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=публикация Дмитрия Тымчука. |title=ИС: Батальон "Донбасс" отрицает участие "Правого сектора" в столкновениях под Карловкой 23 мая – Украина |url=http://zn.ua/UKRAINE/is-batalon-donbass-otricaet-uchastie-pravogo-sektora-v-stolknoveniyah-pod-karlovkoy-23-maya-145716_.html |access-date=12 June 2014 |publisher=zn.ua}}</ref> Pro-Russian leader [[Igor Bezler]] said that he executed all of the captured paramilitaries.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Бєс" Заявив Командиру "Донбасу", Що Вбив Усіх Полонених |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/05/23/7026275/ |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Ukrayinska Pravda}}</ref> Another separatist leader confirmed four of their fighters were killed, and also said that ten pro-government paramilitaries and two civilians died.<ref name="npr.org" /> During the same day, two pro-Russian separatists were killed during an assault by the pro-government "Ukraine Battalion" paramilitary on an occupied local government building in [[Torez]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Two killed and two more wounded in Torez, Donetsk regional administration reports |url=http://24tv.ua/home/showSingleNews.do?two_killed_and_two_more_wounded_in_torez_donetsk_regional_administration_reports&objectId=446161&lang=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528041115/http://24tv.ua/home/showSingleNews.do?two_killed_and_two_more_wounded_in_torez_donetsk_regional_administration_reports&objectId=446161&lang=en |archive-date=28 May 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=24tv.ua |language=uk}}</ref>
==== Airport battle and fighting in Luhansk ====
{{Main|First Battle of Donetsk Airport}}
On the morning of 26 May 200 pro-Russian insurgents, including members of the [[Combatants of the war in Donbas#Vostok Battalion|Vostok Battalion]], captured the main terminal of the [[Donetsk International Airport]], erected roadblocks around it, and demanded that government forces withdraw.<ref name="dozens">{{Cite news |last=A. Roth and S. Tavernise |date=27 May 2014 |title=Dozens of Separatists Killed in Ukraine Army Attack |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/world/europe/ukraine.html |access-date=7 November 2014}}</ref> Soon after these demands were issued, the Ukrainian National Guard issued an ultimatum to the separatists, asking them to surrender. This was subsequently rejected. Government forces then launched an assault on separatist positions at the airport with paratroopers and airstrikes.<ref name="paratroopers">{{Cite news |last1=Paton Walsh |first1=Nick |last2=Smith-Spark |first2=Laura |date=27 May 2014 |title=Ukraine: Fighting closes Donetsk airport, claims dozens of lives |publisher=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/27/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html |access-date=13 November 2019}}</ref> Attack helicopters were also used by government forces. They targeted a separatist-operated anti-aircraft gun.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 May 2014 |title=Ukrainian army battles Kremlin-backed separatists in Donetsk; at least one civilian killed in crossfire |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainians-vote-in-momentous-may-25-election-to-pick-nations-fifth-president-live-updates-349211.html |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref>
An estimated 40 insurgents died in the fighting, with some civilians caught in the crossfire.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zawadzki |first=Sabina |date=27 May 2014 |title=Reuters Fighting rages in Ukraine eastern city, dozens dead |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-fighting-idUKKBN0E70N820140527 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>
Between 15 and 35 insurgents were killed in a single incident, when two lorries carrying wounded fighters away from the airport were destroyed in an ambush by government forces.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
During the fighting at the airport, [[Druzhba Arena]] in Donetsk city was ransacked by pro-Russian insurgents, who looted the building and destroyed surveillance equipment, and set it ablaze.<ref name="reut27">{{Cite news |date=27 May 2014 |title=Fighting rages in eastern Ukraine city, dozens dead |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-fighting-idUSKBN0E70OA20140527}}</ref> Concurrently, Donetsk police said the insurgents had killed two policemen in the nearby town of Horlivka. ''The Moscow Times'' reported that the two men had been executed for "breaking their oath to the Donetsk People's Republic".<ref name=reut27 />
Luhansk People's Republic-affiliated insurgents attacked a [[Ukrainian National Guard]] unit in the early hours of 28 May.<ref name="enca28may">{{Cite news |date=28 May 2014 |title=Ukraine forces attacked, suffer losses in Lugansk |publisher=ENCA |url=http://www.enca.com/world/ukraine-forces-attacked-suffer-losses-lugansk |access-date=29 May 2014}}</ref>
=== Escalation in May and June 2014 ===
[[Mykhailo Koval]], the Minister of Defence, said on 30 May that Ukrainian government forces had "completely cleared" the insurgents from the southern and western parts of Donetsk Oblast and the northern part of Luhansk Oblast.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 May 2014 |title=Ukraine completely clears part of separatist east from rebels – Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!7 |publisher=Yahoo! News |url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/23991750/ukraine-completely-clears-part-of-separatist-east-from-rebels/ |access-date=12 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531110011/https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/23991750/ukraine-completely-clears-part-of-separatist-east-from-rebels/ |archive-date=31 May 2014}}</ref> Meanwhile, an internal coup replaced the leadership of the Donetsk People's Republic, and some bodies of Russian fighters killed in the airport battle were repatriated to Russia.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{Cite news |last=Oliphant |first=Roland |date=29 May 2014 |title=Ukraine's rebels in crisis after Donetsk 'coup' |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10863933/Ukraines-rebels-in-crisis-after-Donetsk-coup.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10863933/Ukraines-rebels-in-crisis-after-Donetsk-coup.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=12 June 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
==== Luhansk border post siege ====
{{Main|Siege of the Luhansk Border Base}}
Two separatists were killed in a skirmish with Ukrainian border guards on 31 May.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anna Nemtsova |title=I Was Held at Gunpoint by Ukraine Rebels |newspaper=The Daily Beast |date=31 May 2014 |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/31/i-was-held-at-gunpoint-by-ukraine-rebels.html |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Thedailybeast.com}}</ref> Two days later, five separatists were killed when 500 separatists attacked a border post in Luhansk Oblast. Eleven border guards and eight separatists were wounded during the fighting,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Luke Harding and agencies in Luhansk |title=Ukraine: pro-Russia rebels killed attempting to storm border guard base |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/02/pro-russion-rebels-killed-in-attack-on-east-ukraine-border-base |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=The Guardian|date=2 June 2014 }}</ref> which also killed one civilian.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thomas Grove |date=3 June 2014 |title=Fog of war falls heavy after violence in eastern Ukraine region |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-luhansk-violence-idUKKBN0EE25420140603 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>
==== 2 June Luhansk airstrike ====
[[File:Lugansk-2014-06-18.jpeg|thumbnail|Civilians killed by an airstrike in Luhansk, 18 June 2014]]
On 2 June, eight people were killed and more than 20 wounded by a series of explosions hitting the occupied RSA building in Luhansk city.<ref name="CNN-2014-06-03" /> Separatists blamed the incident on a government airstrike, while Ukrainian officials denied this, and claimed that the explosions were caused by a stray surface-to-air missile fired by insurgents.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 June 2014 |title=At least two killed in Ukraine explosion |url=http://ewn.co.za/2014/06/02/Two-killed-in-Ukraine-explosion |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Ewn.co.za}}</ref> The [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE) published a report on the next day, stating that based on "limited observation", they believed that the explosion was caused by an airstrike, supporting separatist claims.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Christopher J. Miller |date=3 June 2014 |title=Two Ukrainian troops killed in battles with insurgents on 3 June; OSCE says Luhansk blast on June 2 likely caused by airstrike (UPDATES, VIDEO) |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/heavy-fighting-in-eastern-ukraine-as-government-restarts-active-phase-of-anti-terror-operation-350453.html |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref>
A CNN investigation found clear evidence that the attack came from the air and the pattern of the craters suggested use of standard equipment on the Su-25, a ground-attack fighter, and the Su-27 – both combat aircraft operated by Ukraine.<ref name="CNN-2014-06-03">{{Citation |last1=Magnay |first1=Diana |title=Air attack on pro-Russian separatists in Luhansk kills 8, stuns residents |date=3 June 2014 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/03/world/europe/ukraine-luhansk-building-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_c1 |publisher=CNN |access-date=4 June 2014 |last2=Tom Lister}}</ref>
Analysis of [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|Radio Liberty]] also concluded that "Despite Denials, All Evidence For Deadly Explosion Points To Kyiv".<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 June 2014 |title=Despite Denials, All Evidence For Deadly Explosion Points To Kyiv |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |url=http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-unspun-luhansk-blast/25410384.html |access-date=4 May 2017}}</ref> CNN believed that it was the first time that civilians had been killed in an attack by the Ukrainian air force during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Donbas.<ref name="CNN-2014-06-03" /> The next day, [[Luhansk People's Republic]] declared a three-day mourning in the city.<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 June 2014 |title=Болотов объявил в Луганске трехдневный траур по погибшим (Bolotov declared a three-day mourning over the killed in Luhansk) |work=Вести vesti-ukr |url=http://vesti-ukr.com/donbass/54943-bolotov-objavil-v-luganske-trehdnevnyj-traur-po-pogibshim |access-date=28 May 2017}}</ref>
====Continued fighting====
[[File:2014-06-03. Протесты в Донецке 015.JPG|thumbnail|Vostok Battalion members dismantling the barricade at Donetsk RSA on 3 June]]
Government forces destroyed a separatist stronghold in Semenivka, and regained control of [[Krasnyi Lyman]] on 3 June.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Northern Donetsk region cleared of insurgents, part of Luhansk region border closed |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine-abroad/northern-donetsk-region-cleared-of-insurgents-part-of-luhansk-region-border-closed-350518.html |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Kyiv Post|date=3 June 2014 }}</ref> Two soldiers were killed in the fighting, and forty-five were wounded. A spokesman for the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that 300 insurgents were killed during the operation and that 500 were wounded. Insurgents said they lost between 10 and 50 men.<ref name="conflicting">{{Cite news |date=4 June 2014 |title=Conflicting accounts in heightened eastern Ukraine fighting |publisher=CNN |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/04/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/ |access-date=14 October 2014}}</ref> They said that at least 25 were killed while in hospital at Krasnyi Lyman.<ref>{{Cite news |last=<%= item.timeFlag %> |title=Ukrainian troops kill more than 25 people in Krasny Liman hospital |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/734712 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> None of these reports were independently confirmed, and both sides denied the other's accounts of the battle.<ref name="conflicting" />
On the next day, insurgents captured the besieged Luhansk border post, as well as a National Guard base near Luhansk city. The fighting in these areas left six insurgents dead, and three government soldiers wounded. Another border post was captured by the insurgents in [[Sverdlovsk, Ukraine|Sverdlovsk]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 August 2014 |title=Rebels Seize 3 Government Bases in Eastern Ukraine |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/militants-killed-ukrainian-troops-injured-23984915 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140604202112/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/militants-killed-ukrainian-troops-injured-23984915 |archive-date=4 June 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |work=ABC News}}</ref> The National Guard base fell after guardsmen ran out of ammunition. Separatists had earlier seized vast quantities of munitions from the captured border post.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Qena |first=Nebi |date=4 June 2014 |title=6 militants killed, 3 Ukrainian troops injured in Luhansk |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/1373185/6-militants-killed-3-ukrainian-troops-injured/ |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Globalnews.ca}}</ref>
Another border post was attacked on 5 June, in the village of [[Marynivka]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Separatists kill member of Ukrainian special forces |url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/140606/separatists-eastern-ukraine-attack-border-post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607133444/http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/140606/separatists-eastern-ukraine-attack-border-post |archive-date=7 June 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Globalpost.com}}</ref> Government officials said that between 15 and 16 insurgents were killed and that 5 soldiers were injured as well.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine says 15 rebels killed in border clash – Europe |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/06/ukraine-says-15-rebels-killed-border-clash-2014667936400443.html |access-date=12 June 2014 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref> A shootout between rival separatist groups in Donetsk city took place on 7 June, near the Donetsk RSA. The vice-president of the Donetsk People's Republic, Maxim Petrukhin, was killed in the fighting, and president [[Denis Pushilin]] was wounded.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 June 2014 |title=У Донецьку застрелили помічника головного місцевого терориста. Пушиліна поранено | Українська правда |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/06/7/7028405/ |access-date=12 June 2014 |website=Ukrayinska Pravda}}</ref>
==== Russian tank incursion ====
Ukrainian officials said that Russia had allowed tanks to cross the Russo-Ukrainian border into Donetsk Oblast on 11 June. Internal Affairs Minister [[Arsen Avakov]] said "we have observed columns passing with armoured personnel carriers, other armoured vehicles and artillery pieces, and tanks which, according to our information, came across the border and this morning were in [[Snizhne]]". He continued by saying Ukrainian forces had destroyed part of the column, and that fighting was still under way. [[Reuters]] correspondents confirmed the presence of three tanks in Donetsk city, and the US [[State Department of the United States|State Department]]'s [[Bureau of Intelligence and Research]] also said that Russia had indeed sent tanks, along with other heavy weapons, to the separatists in Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zinets |first=Natalia |date=12 June 2014 |title=Ukraine accuses Russia of letting rebels bring in tanks |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-tanks-idUSKBN0EN1KS20140612 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>
The weapons sent are said to include: a column of three [[T-64]] tanks, several [[BM-21 Grad]] multiple rocket launchers, and other military vehicles. "Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area," the State Department said in a statement. "We are confident that these tanks came from Russia."<ref name="timestanks">{{Cite news |last=Gordon |first=Michael R. |date=13 June 2014 |title=Russia Has Sent Tanks to Ukraine Rebels, U.S. Says |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/14/world/europe/russia-has-sent-tanks-to-ukraine-rebels-us-says.html?emc=edit_na_20140613&nlid=13240517}}</ref> The [[2014 Ukrainian presidential election|newly elected]] Ukrainian president, [[Petro Poroshenko]], said that it was "unacceptable" for tanks to be crossing into Ukraine. Russia called the reports "another fake piece of information."<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 June 2014 |title=Ukraine says 'Russian tank incursion' unacceptable |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27815441 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> Nevertheless, the three tanks were later spotted moving through [[Makiivka]] and [[Torez]], flying the flag of the Russian Federation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Російські танки вже в Макіївці |url=http://www.hromadske.tv/society/rosiiski-tanki-vzhe-v-makiyivtsi/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614045414/http://www.hromadske.tv/society/rosiiski-tanki-vzhe-v-makiyivtsi/ |archive-date=14 June 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Hromadske.tv}}</ref> Insurgents confirmed that they had obtained three tanks, but leaders refused to elaborate on how they acquired them; one militant told reporters that they originated "from a military warehouse".<ref name="BBC News T6413614" />
The president of the DPR, [[Denis Pushilin]], stated that the three tanks would be stationed in Donetsk city and that they gave his forces "at least some hope of defending [Donetsk] because heavy weapons are already being used against us."<ref name="BBC News T6413614">[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27829773 Ukraine crisis: Kiev forces win back Mariupol], [[BBC News]] (13 June 2014)</ref> Konstantin Mashovets, a former Ukrainian Defence Ministry official, said the tanks had likely been seized by Russian forces in Crimea before making their way into mainland Ukraine. Anton Heraschenko, an advisor to Arsen Avakov, confirmed at a briefing in Kyiv that the tanks were once in the possession of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in [[Crimea]], and that they had been transferred by sea to Russia before crossing the border into Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Christopher Miller 3:55 UTC |date=13 June 2014 |title=Ukrainian Forces Seize Crucial Port City From Pro-Russia Separatists |url=http://mashable.com/2014/06/13/ukraine-seize-port-city-russia-separatists/ |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Mashable.com}}</ref>
[[File:2014-06-12. War in Donbass 20.JPG|thumb|[[BTR-80]] in Ukrainian service, 12 June 2014]]
On the day after the tank incursion, three soldiers were killed when they were ambushed by insurgents in [[Stepanivka]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=AFP 3:02 am BST 14 June 2014 |date=14 June 2014 |title=US accuses Russia of sending rocket launchers to Ukraine rebels |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10899655/US-accuses-Russia-of-sending-rocket-launchers-to-Ukraine-rebels.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10899655/US-accuses-Russia-of-sending-rocket-launchers-to-Ukraine-rebels.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=26 August 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Heavy fighting resumed during the morning of 13 June, when the government launched a new attack against insurgents in Mariupol. Ukrainian troops managed to recapture the city, and declared it the "provisional capital" of Donetsk Oblast until the government regains control over Donetsk city.<ref name="mariupol">{{Cite web |date=13 June 2014 |title=Ukraine Troops Storm Rebel-Held Buildings |url=http://news.sky.com/story/1281593/ukraine-troops-storm-rebel-held-buildings |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=BSkyB}}</ref> Meanwhile, an agreement between the Minister of Internal Affairs, Arsen Avakov, and the president of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, meant to create a ceasefire and allow civilians to escape the violence in Sloviansk failed, with both sides blaming each other for launching new attacks.<ref>[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/209148.html Ukrainian interior minister blames 'militia' for ceasefire talks' failure], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (12 June 2014)</ref> During the next morning, a convoy of border guardsmen was attacked by insurgents while passing Mariupol, leaving at least five of the guardsmen dead.<ref name="convoy">{{Cite web |title=В Мариуполе на пост-мосту расстреляли колонну пограничников. Есть погибшие (ФОТО+ВИДЕО) |url=https://www.0629.com.ua/news/555391/v-mariupole-na-post-mostu-rasstrelali-kolonnu-pogranicnikov-est-pogibsie-fotovideo |website=0629.com.ua – Сайт города Мариуполя}}</ref>
==== Ilyushin Il-76 shoot-down ====
{{Main|Ukrainian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 shoot-down}}
A [[Ukrainian Air Force]] [[Ilyushin Il-76]]MD was shot down by forces aligned with the [[Luhansk People's Republic]] on 14 June.<ref name="shootdown">{{Cite news |last=Kolyandr |first=Alexander |date=14 June 2014 |title=Dozens Killed as Ukrainian Transport Plane Is Shot Down by Rebels in Luhansk |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-transport-plane-shot-down-by-pro-russian-separatists-in-luhansk-1402736354 |access-date=27 June 2014}}</ref> The aircraft was preparing to land at [[Luhansk International Airport]], and was carrying troops and equipment from an undisclosed location. All 49 people on board died.<ref name="shootdown" /> Meanwhile, two T-72 tanks entered Donetsk, and a skirmish erupted at a military checkpoint in Luhansk, lasting two days.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 June 2014 |title=Terrorists drove two Russian tanks T-72 to Donetsk – NSDC representative: UNIAN news |url=http://www.unian.info/politics/930099-terrorists-drove-two-russian-tanks-t-72-to-donetsk-nsdc-representative.html |access-date=8 July 2014 |publisher=Unian.info}}</ref>
==== Battle of Yampil ====
Late on 19 June, a battle fought with tanks and armoured vehicles broke out in the town of [[Yampil, Donetsk Oblast|Yampil]], near government-held [[Krasnyi Lyman]]. Up to 4,000 insurgents were present for the fighting, which started, according to the insurgents, after the Armed Forces attempted to capture insurgent-held Yampil,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vasovic |first=Aleksandar |date=19 June 2014 |title=Ukraine rebels speak of heavy losses in battle against government troops |work=Reuters |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-fighting-idINKBN0EU0S320140619 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> with the goal of breaking through to [[Siversk]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=<%= item.timeFlag %> |title=Ukrainian army using attack aviation, tanks to seize Yampol village |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/736846 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> According to the Armed Forces, it started after insurgents attempted to break through a cordon of government troops around government-held Krasny Lyman. The battle was described as exceeding "in terms of force and scale anything there has been" during the conflict in Donbas.<ref name="BBC192014">{{Cite news |date=19 June 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: EU deal to be signed on 27 June |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27919047}}</ref>
The Armed Forces deployed both air and artillery strikes in their attempts to rout the insurgents.<ref name="whitehouse">{{Cite news |last=M. R. Gordon and D. M. Herszenhorn |date=20 June 2014 |title=As Ukraine Announces Cease-Fire, White House Points Finger at Russia |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/21/world/europe/ukraine.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1 |access-date=7 November 2014}}</ref> The battle continued into the next day. Overnight, between 7 and 12 soldiers were killed and between 25 and 30 were wounded. The Armed Forces said they killed 300 insurgents, but this was not independently verified,<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 June 2014 |title=7 Ukrainian troops killed, rebels operate tanks – The Washington Post |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/7-ukrainian-troops-killed-in-overnight-fighting/2014/06/20/9078b184-f847-11e3-8118-eae4d5b48c7d_story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140620110444/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/7-ukrainian-troops-killed-in-overnight-fighting/2014/06/20/9078b184-f847-11e3-8118-eae4d5b48c7d_story.html |archive-date=20 June 2014}}</ref> the separatists confirmed only two deaths and seven wounded on their side.<ref name=whitehouse/> The insurgents also said they destroyed one tank, several [[BMD-1]]s, and also shot down a [[Sukhoi Su-25|Su-25]] bomber.<ref>[http://rian.com.ua/incidents/20140619/353606933.html Над поселком Ямполь сбит самолет Су-25 – ополченцы] (Su-25 shot down above the village of Yampil – militia) RIA Novosti. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014</ref>
The Ukrainian military said that they had gained control of Yampil and Siversk on 20 June 20 hours before a unilateral ceasefire by Ukrainian forces, as part of Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko's [[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine#Fifteen-point peace plan|15-point peace plan]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 June 2014 |title=Ukrainian military free Yampil in Donetsk Region from terrorists – NSDC |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-military-free-yampil-in-donetsk-region-from-terrorists-nsdc-352725.html |access-date=20 June 2014}}</ref> They also acknowledged that there was still heavy fighting in the area around Yampil, and the village of Zakitne.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 June 2014 |title=силовики заняли Северск, – ОГА |url=http://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/v-donetskoy-obl-siloviki-zanyali-seversk---oga-20062014171300 |publisher=RBC News}}</ref> By this point, the number of soldiers killed in the battle had reached 13.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine declares week-long ceasefire in fight against separatists |date=20 June 2014 |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20140620-ukraine-week-long-ceasefire-fight-separatists-east-russia/ |access-date=14 October 2014 |publisher=France 24}}</ref> During the continued fighting, militants blew up a bridge over a river in the village of Zakitne.<ref>[http://rian.com.ua/incidents/20140620/353674204.html Ополченцы заявили, что взорвали мост на севере Донецкой области]. RIA Novosti, 20 June 2014</ref>
=== July 2014: post-ceasefire government offensive ===
{{See also|Great Raid of 2014}}
After [[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine#Fifteen-point peace plan|a week-long ceasefire]] unilaterally declared by Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]] ended, the Armed Forces renewed their operations against the insurgents on 1 July. Shelling occurred in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, and government forces retook a border crossing in [[Dolzhansk]], one of the three major border crossings occupied by the separatists. Government forces also recaptured the villages of [[Brusivka]] and [[Stary Karavan]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Luhn |first=Alec |date=1 July 2014 |title=Ukraine retakes border crossing from rebels as Poroshenko goes on attack |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/01/ukraine-petro-poroshenko-goes-on-attack |access-date=16 July 2014}}</ref> On the same day, insurgents in Luhansk said that they had taken control of [[Luhansk International Airport]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 July 2014 |title=Rebels claim control over Luhansk airport |work=Kyiv Post |agency=Interfax-Ukraine |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/rebels-claim-control-over-luhansk-airport-354221.html}}</ref> On 1 July 2014 in Donetsk a street gunfight broke between rival factions of pro-Russian militants, which resulted in one person being fatally wounded and two others in critical conditions.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.62.ua/news/567104 Strange war in Donetsk – how DNR battalions fought against DNR militants]. 62 (Donetsk city portal). 2 July 2014</ref>
Internal Affairs Ministry spokesman Zoryan Shkyriak said that over 1,000 pro-Russian insurgents were killed in the first day following the resumption of hostilities.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 July 2014 |script-title=uk:За перший день відновлення АТО силовики знищили понад 1000 бойовиків |language=uk |trans-title=In the first day of resumption of the ATO, security forces killed more than 1,000 militants |agency=TSN |url=http://tsn.ua/politika/za-pershiy-den-vidnovlennya-ato-siloviki-znischili-ponad-1000-boyovikiv-357144.html |access-date=25 November 2014}}</ref> Liga.net, citing a source involved with the government military operation, reported that over 400 insurgents were killed in action, but that the higher figures reported earlier could not be confirmed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 July 2014 |script-title=ru:Первые сутки возобновления АТО: потери, пленные, новое оружие |trans-title=First days of the resumption of ATO: losses, prisoners, new weapons |url=http://news.liga.net/articles/politics/2373601-posle_peremiriya_v_pervyy_den_ato_ubito_bolshe_400_boevikov.htm |access-date=6 March 2015 |website=liga.net |language=ru}}</ref> Separatists themselves reported only two deaths in fighting at [[Mykolaivka, Donetsk Oblast|Mykolaivka]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Russia and Ukraine 'agree steps' towards new truce |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28139139 |access-date=14 October 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Damaged apartment building in Donetsk, July 14, 2014.jpg|thumb|Damaged block of flats in Donetsk, 14 July 2014]]
Insurgents attacked a border post in [[Novoazovsk]] on 2 July. During the attack, [[Mortar (weapon)|mortars]] were fired upon the post, and clashes broke out. One border guard was killed in the fighting, and another eight guardsmen were injured.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 July 2014 |title=Guard killed in attack on border post, Ukraine says |publisher=Fox News |url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/07/02/guard-killed-in-attack-on-border-post-ukraine-says/?intcmp=latestnews}}</ref> Government forces recaptured the town of [[Mykolaivka, Donetsk Oblast|Mykolaivka]], near Sloviansk, on 4 July. A group of DPR-affiliated militants defected as a result, and joined the Ukrainian army.<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 July 2014 |title=Ukraine government forces take control of village near Sloviansk – Avakov |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-govt-forces-take-control-of-village-near-sloviansk-avakov-354724.html}}</ref>
In a further blow to the insurgents, government forces retook the stronghold of [[Sloviansk]] on 5 July.<ref name="5BBC7">{{Cite news |date=5 July 2014 |title=Rebels abandon Sloviansk stronghold |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28174104 |access-date=5 July 2014}}</ref> Commander of the DPR insurgents, [[Igor Girkin]], took the decision "due to the overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy", according to DPR prime minister [[Alexander Borodai]]. He said that DPR forces had retreated to [[Kramatorsk]], but [[BBC News]] reported that they were seen abandoning their checkpoints in Kramatorsk.<ref name="5BBC7" /> Later that day, Borodai confirmed that the insurgents had abandoned "the entire northern sector", including Kramatorsk, and had retreated to [[Donetsk]] city.<ref name="BBCkramawith">{{Cite news |date=5 July 2014 |title=Donetsk rebels in mass withdrawal |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28177020 |access-date=5 July 2014}}</ref> After the retreat of Girkin's forces to Donetsk, he assumed control of the DPR, replacing the previous authorities there in what was described as a "[[coup d'état]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marples |first=David |date=8 July 2014 |title=Long live the Donetsk People's Republic! |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/long-live-donetsk-peoples-republic/ |access-date=9 August 2019 |website=openDemocracy}}</ref>
Subsequently, Ukraine's Armed Forces recaptured [[Druzhkivka]], [[Kostyantynivka]], and [[Artemivsk, Donetsk Oblast|Artemivsk]].<ref name="Cullison">{{Cite news |last=Cullison |first=Alan |date=6 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian Government Troops Target Further Gains in East |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-government-troops-target-further-gains-in-east-1404644564}}</ref> Amidst the insurgent retreat, Donetsk city mayor [[Oleksandr Lukyanchenko]] said that at least 30,000 people had left the city since April.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Luhn |first=Alec |date=6 July 2014 |title=Donetsk becomes a ghost town as fearful residents flee conflict |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/06/ukraine-crisis-donetsk}}</ref> In a separate development, Ukrainian forces said they spotted two [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|aerial drones]] in Mariupol, and shot one of them down.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 July 2014 |title=Ukraine's forces control fully Slavyansk, Kramatorsk |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/739216}}</ref>
Ahead of a planned government offensive on the insurgent-occupied city of Donetsk, key roads leading into the city were blocked on 7 July.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 July 2014 |title=Bridges destroyed outside Donetsk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28191833 |access-date=7 July 2014}}</ref> Insurgents destroyed railway bridges over the roads, causing them to collapse and block the roads. Defence Minister [[Valeriy Heletey]] stated on 8 July that there would be "no more unilateral ceasefires", and said dialogue was only possible if the insurgents laid down their weapons.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 July 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: 'No more unilateral ceasefires' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28209182 |access-date=8 July 2014}}</ref> More fighting broke out at [[Luhansk International Airport]] on 9 July.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 July 2014 |title=Fighting under way near Luhansk airport |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/fighting-under-way-near-luhansk-airport-355362.html}}</ref> LPR-affiliated insurgents said that they had captured the airport on 1 July, but the Ukrainian army managed to maintain control over it. More than 10,000 households in Luhansk Oblast are without gas service due to damage to gas lines, according to a statement on the same day by the regional gas supplier.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 July 2014 |title=Armed hostilities in Luhansk damage over 60 gas pipes |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/739741}}</ref>
[[File:Destroyed house in Donbass.jpg|thumb|Destroyed house in Donbas, July 2014]]
Clashes at the Donetsk International Airport continued on 10 July. Insurgents fired mortars at the airport, and attempted to recapture it, but were repelled by the Armed Forces.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 July 2014 |title=Ukraine forces clash with separatists at Donetsk airport |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28255174}}</ref> Ukrainian forces also retook the city of [[Siversk]], which was confirmed by the insurgents.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 July 2014 |title=Ukraine forces regain more ground but sustain further casualties |publisher=CBC News |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-forces-regain-more-ground-but-sustain-further-casualties-1.2702000}}</ref> On the same day, the Luhansk city administration reported that six civilians had been injured due to ongoing hostilities across the city.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 July 2014 |title=Luhansk City Council reports injury of six civilians |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/luhansk-city-council-reports-injury-of-six-civilians-355432.html}}</ref> There were also reports of factionalism among the separatists, with some desertions. According to these reports, the Vostok Battalion had rejected the authority of Igor Girkin. Alexander Borodai, prime minister of the DPR, denied these reports, however, and said that they were lies.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Karmanau |first=Yuras |date=10 July 2014 |title=Deep rifts emerge in ranks of Ukraine's pro-Russia insurgents as support from Moscow evaporates |work=National Post |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/deep-rifts-emerge-in-ranks-of-ukraines-pro-russia-insurgents-as-support-from-moscow-evaporates}}</ref>
Heavy fighting continued in Luhansk Oblast on 11 July. On that day, an Armed Forces column travelling near [[Rovenky]] was attacked by an insurgent-operated [[Grad rocket]] lorry.<ref name="BBCdth">{{Cite news |date=11 July 2014 |title=Ukraine president vows to act over army deaths |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28267929 |access-date=11 July 2014}}</ref> An air strike launched by the Armed Forces eventually managed to destroy the [[rocket launcher]], but only after 23 soldiers were killed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 July 2014 |title=19 Ukraine army servicemen killed by enemy artillery near Rovenky |work=ZIK |url=http://zik.ua/en/news/2014/07/11/19_ukraine_army_servicemen_killed_by_enemy_artillery_near_rovenky_505245}}</ref> In response to the attack, Ukrainian president Poroshenko said that "For every life of our soldiers, the militants will pay with tens and hundreds of their own".<ref name="BBCdth" /> On the next day, the Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes targeting insurgent positions across Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 July 2014 |title=Ukraine launches air offensive, kills 1,000 rebels, Kiev says |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/ukraine-launches-air-offensive-kill-1000-rebels-kiev-says/article19578600/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713003305/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/ukraine-launches-air-offensive-kill-1000-rebels-kiev-says/article19578600/ |archive-date=13 July 2014}}</ref> The Ukrainian government said that 500 insurgents were killed in these strikes, which they said were [[retaliation]]s for the separatist rocket attack on the previous day. Four people were killed at [[Marinka, Ukraine|Marinka]], a western suburb of Donetsk city, after rockets struck an insurgent-held area of the city. The Ukrainian government and separatists blamed each other for the attack.<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 July 2014 |title=Ukraine conflict: Rockets ravage suburb of Donetsk |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28277928}}</ref>
=== Fighting worsens in eastern Donetsk Oblast ===
{{Main|Battle in Shakhtarsk Raion}}
After a brief lull following the insurgent withdrawal from the northern part of Donetsk Oblast, fighting continued to escalate sharply in the eastern parts of Donetsk Oblast. [[Shelling of Donetsk, Russia|Shells landed]] on the border town of [[Donetsk, Russia|Donetsk]] in [[Rostov Oblast]], a part of Russia, on 13 July.<ref name="guardian713">{{Cite news |date=13 July 2014 |title=Ukraine's shelling could have irreversible consequences, says Russia |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/13/ukrainian-shell-russian-border-town-donetsk?CMP=twt_gu |access-date=14 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715010428/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/13/ukrainian-shell-russian-border-town-donetsk?CMP=twt_gu |archive-date=15 July 2014}}</ref> One civilian was killed in the shelling. Russian officials blamed the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the shelling, whilst Ukraine denied responsibility and accused insurgents in Donbas of having staged a [[false flag]] attack.<ref name="Reuters713">{{Cite news |date=13 July 2014 |title=Russia warns Ukraine after shell crosses border |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSKBN0FI09I20140713 |access-date=14 July 2014}}</ref> Russia said it was considering launching [[airstrikes]] against government targets in Ukraine as retaliation for the shelling.<ref name="AFP714">{{Cite news |date=14 July 2014 |title=Moscow 'considering targeted strikes' on Ukraine: report |work=Deccan Chronicle |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140714/world-asia/article/moscow-considering-targeted-strikes-ukraine-report |access-date=14 July 2014}}</ref>
Ukrainian forces went on to make gains around Luhansk, ending an insurgent blockade of Luhansk International Airport. LPR officials acknowledged that they lost 30 men during fighting in the village of Oleksandrivka.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 July 2014 |title=Ukraine forces break rebel airport blockade |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/07/ukraine-forces-breaks-rebel-airport-blockade-201471493349612951.html}}</ref> The insurgent-occupied town of Snizhne was hit by rockets fired from an aeroplane on 15 July, leaving at least 11 people dead, and destroying multiple homes.<ref name="BBCsniz">{{Cite news |date=16 July 2014 |title=Warplane bombs town of Snizhne in east Ukraine |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28308461 |access-date=16 July 2014}}</ref> The insurgents blamed the Air Force of Ukraine, but the Ukrainian government denied any involvement in the attack.
Clashes broke out between insurgents and the Armed Forces along the border with Russia in [[Shakhtarsk Raion]] on 16 July. Insurgents who had been holed up in the town of [[Stepanivka]] made an attempt to escape encirclement by government forces at 05:00.<ref name="REfr">{{Cite news |date=16 July 2014 |title=More Ukrainian soldiers killed as fighting rages in east, peace move flops |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSKBN0FL0K020140716 |access-date=16 July 2014}}</ref> According to a report by the [[National Guard of Ukraine|National Guard]], a roadblock near the border village of Marynivka was attacked by the insurgents with tanks, mortar fire, and anti-tank missiles.<ref name="IFng">{{Cite news |date=16 July 2014 |title=Militants attack National Guard positions in Donetsk region |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/213817.html |access-date=17 July 2014}}</ref> The checkpoint was shelled for over an hour, causing significant damage to infrastructure in Marynivka. Guardsmen managed to repel the attack, and forced the insurgents back to Stepanivka, where fighting continued.<ref name="IFng" /> The battle then moved to the nearby village of [[Tarany]]. At least 11 Ukrainian soldiers died in the fighting.<ref name="REfr" /> Attempts to form a "contact group" between the insurgents and the Ukrainian government, part of President Poroshenko's "[[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine#Fifteen-point peace plan|15-point peace plan]]", failed, leaving little hope of a renewed [[ceasefire]].<ref name="REfr" /> The insurgents later said that they successfully retook [[Marynivka]] from the Armed Forces.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 July 2014 |title=Ukraine's separatist rebels reclaim village on Russian border |work=The Oregonian |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2014/07/ukraines_separatist_rebels_rec.html |access-date=17 July 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140727054841/http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2014/07/ukraines_separatist_rebels_rec.html |archive-date=27 July 2014}}</ref>
=== Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 ===
{{Main|Malaysia Airlines Flight 17}}
A civilian passenger jet, [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 17]], was shot down over [[Hrabove, Donetsk Oblast|Hrabove]] on 17 July 2014, killing all 298 people on board. DPR-affiliated insurgents blamed the Ukrainian government for the disaster, whereas the government, [[Netherlands]], and [[Australia]] blamed Russia and the insurgents.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="Evidence in The Australian">{{Cite web |title=MH17 evidence points to 'rogue state' Russia, Tony Abbott says |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/mh17-shot-down-by-missile-from-russia-by-its-military-report-finds/news-story/d3d1cafaa0033e7acc42d9b9fc38dbf4 |website=The Australian}}</ref> The responsibility for investigation was delegated to the [[Dutch Safety Board]] (DSB) and the Dutch-led [[#Criminal investigation|joint investigation team]] (JIT), who concluded that the airliner was downed by a [[Buk missile system|Buk]] [[surface-to-air missile]] launched from pro-Russian [[Novorossiya (confederation)|separatist-controlled territory]] in Ukraine.<ref name="DSB_Final_Report">{{Cite report |url=https://www.onderzoeksraad.nl/en/media/attachment/2018/7/10/debcd724fe7breport_mh17_crash.pdf |title=Crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 |date=13 October 2015 |publisher=[[Dutch Safety Board]] |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6cFSGnsRg?url=http://cdn.onderzoeksraad.nl/documents/report-mh17-crash-en.pdf |archive-date=13 October 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite news |last=Weaver |first=Matthew |date=13 October 2015 |title=MH17 crash report: Dutch investigators confirm Buk missile hit plane – live updates |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/oct/13/mh17-crash-report-ukraine-live-updates |access-date=13 October 2015}}</ref> According to the JIT, the Buk that was used originated from the [[53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade]] of the [[Russia|Russian Federation]],<ref name="BBC 5.24.18">{{Cite web |date=24 May 2018 |title=MH17 missile owned by Russian brigade, investigators say |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44235402 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref name="CNN 5.24.18">{{Cite news |last1=Smith-Spark |first1=Laura |last2=Masters |first2=James |date=24 May 2018 |title=Missile that downed MH17 'owned by Russian brigade' |publisher=[[CNN]] |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/24/europe/mh17-plane-netherlands-russia-intl/index.html}}</ref> and had been transported from Russia on the day of the crash, fired from a field in a separatist-controlled area, and the launcher returned to Russia after it was used to shoot down MH17.<ref name="BBC News 28 September 2016">{{Cite web |last=<!-- staff writer(s); no by-line --> |date=28 September 2016 |title=MH17 missile 'came from Russia', Dutch-led investigators say |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37495067 |access-date=2 October 2016 |website=[[BBC News Online]] |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref><ref name="BBC 5.24.18" /><ref name="SMH JIT">{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Nick |date=29 September 2016 |title=Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down from pro-Russian rebel controlled territory, investigation finds |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=http://www.smh.com.au/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-was-shot-down-from-prorussian-rebel-controlled-territory-investigation-finds-20160928-grqter.html}}</ref>
On the basis of the JIT's conclusions, the governments of the Netherlands and Australia hold Russia responsible for the deployment of the Buk installation and are taking steps to hold Russia formally accountable.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last1=Algemene Zaken |first1=Ministerie van |last2=Buitenlandse Zaken |first2=Ministerie van |date=25 May 2018 |title=MH17: The Netherlands and Australia hold Russia responsible |url=https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2018/05/25/mh17-the-netherlands-and-australia-hold-russia-responsible |access-date=25 May 2018 |website=government.nl |language=nl-NL}}</ref><ref name="Evidence in The Australian" /> This disaster followed two similar incidents earlier in the week, when two Ukrainian Air Force planes were shot down.<ref name="BBCma">{{Cite news |date=17 July 2014 |title=Malaysia airliner crashes in east Ukraine conflict zone |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28354856 |access-date=17 July 2014}}</ref> Meanwhile, fighting in Luhansk resulted in the loss of electrical power and water services across the city.<ref name="BBCle">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2014 |title=Luhansk lacks electricity and water |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28363086 |access-date=18 July 2014}}</ref> Shelling damaged an electrical substation in the district Kamennobrodskiy, causing the power loss. An oil refinery in [[Lysychansk]] was also set alight.<ref name="BBCle" />
At least 20 civilians were killed in the shelling of Luhansk, according to a statement by the city administration.<ref name="ifle">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2014 |title=Over 20 civilians killed in rocket fire in Luhansk on Friday |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/214309.html |access-date=18 July 2014}}</ref> The statement said that a barrage of rockets hit "virtually every district". The shelling forced OSCE monitors to flee from their office in Luhansk, and move to [[Starobilsk]].<ref name="OSCE257">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, based on information received by 18:00hrs, 24 July (Kyiv time) |date=25 July 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/121832 |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref> Government forces went on to capture the south-eastern section of the city.<ref name="BBcrtl">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2014 |title=Part of Luhansk 'retaken' from rebels |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28363086 |access-date=18 July 2014}}</ref> Another 16 people died overnight, and at least 60 were wounded.<ref name="KPleadc">{{Cite news |date=19 July 2014 |title=Sixteen civilians killed, 66 wounded in Luhansk in past 24 hours |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/city-council-sixteen-civilians-killed-66-wounded-in-luhansk-in-past-24-hours-356902.html |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref> According to a government report, Luhansk airport was secured by government forces amidst the battle.<ref name="KPlaufu">{{Cite news |date=19 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian forces unblock Luhansk airport |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-forces-unblock-luhansk-airport-356866.html |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref>
=== Government push into Donetsk and Luhansk cities ===
{{See also|Novosvitlivka refugee convoy attack|Battle of Horlivka}}
[[File:Burned apartment building in Lysychansk, July 28, 2014.jpg|thumb|upright|Damaged tower block in Lysychansk, 28 July 2014]]
Heavy fighting also resumed around Donetsk airport overnight, and explosions were heard in all districts of the city. The city fell quiet by 09:00 on 19 July.<ref name="KPdqns">{{Cite news |date=19 July 2014 |title=Donetsk quiet after nighttime and morning shelling |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/authorities-donetsk-quiet-after-nighttime-and-morning-shelling-356901.html |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref> By 21 July, heavy fighting in Donetsk had begun again.<ref name="reuadad">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2014 |title=Fighting flares in Ukraine as crash investigators arrive |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-airplane-idUKKBN0FP02L20140721 |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref> Donetsk was rocked by explosions, and heavy weapons fire caused smoke to rise over the city. Fighting was concentrated in the northwestern districts of [[Kyivskyi District, Donetsk|Kyivskyi]] and [[Kuibyshevskyi District, Donetsk|Kuibyshevskyi]], and also near the central railway station and airport, leading local residents to seek refuge in bomb shelters, or to flee the city.<ref name="IF21j">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2014 |title=Northwest Donetsk rocked by explosions as residents hide in bomb shelters |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/214690.html |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref> The city's water supply was cut off during the fighting, and all railway and bus service was stopped.<ref name="IFws">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2014 |title=Water supplies to Donetsk stopped |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/214706.html |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref> The streets emptied, and insurgents erected barricades across the city to control traffic.<ref name="KPdciv">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2014 |title=Civilians killed as Ukrainian forces tighten noose on rebels in Donetsk |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/civilians-killed-as-ukrainian-forces-tighten-noose-on-rebels-in-donetsk-357203.html |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref> The cities of [[Dzerzhynsk, Ukraine|Dzerzhynsk]], [[Soledar]], and [[Rubizhne]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=<!-- staff writer(s); no by-line --> |date=21 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian troops take control of three settlements in Donetsk region |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/741679}}</ref> were also recaptured by government forces.<ref name="KPdze">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2014 |title=Separatists retreat from Dzerzhynsk |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/separatists-retreat-from-dzerzhynsk-357159.html |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref>
The suburb of [[Mayorsk]], just outside [[Horlivka]], and the city of [[Sievierodonetsk]], in Luhansk Oblast, were recaptured by the Armed Forces on 22 July.<ref name="BBCbods">{{Cite news |date=22 July 2014 |title=MH17 bodies moved out of Ukraine rebel area |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28416973 |access-date=22 July 2014}}</ref> OSCE monitors visiting Donetsk following the previous day's fighting there said that the city was "practically deserted", and that the fighting had stopped.<ref name="OSCE247">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine based on information received until 18:00 hrs, 23 July (Kyiv time) |date=24 July 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/121790 |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref> On the same day, DPR prime minister [[Alexander Borodai]] said that he wanted to resume ceasefire talks. DPR commander [[Igor Girkin]] also said "The time has come when Russia must take a final decision – to really support Donbas's Russians or abandon them forever".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140728040924/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-21/ukraine-army-hits-rebels-with-advance-across-all-fronts-.html Ukraine Army Hits Rebels With Advance ‘Across All Fronts’], [[Bloomberg News]] (21 July 2014)</ref> Also, the pro-Ukrainian paramilitary [[Donbas Battalion]] captured [[Popasna]].<ref name="pops">{{Cite news |date=22 July 2014 |title=Попасна Луганской области освобождена от боевиков – Семенченко (Popasnaya Luhansk region freed from insurgents – Sementchenko) |language=ru |work=Segodnya |url=http://www.segodnya.ua/regions/donetsk/popasnaya-luganskoy-oblasti-osvobozhdena-ot-boevikov-semenchenko-538863.html |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Blown up railway bridge in Donbass.jpg|thumb|left|Destroyed railway flyover, 25 July 2014]]
After having retaken [[Sievierodonetsk]], government forces fought insurgents around the neighbouring city of [[Lysychansk]].<ref name="WSJgfgf">{{Cite news|last=Troianovski|first=Anton|author-link=Anton Troianovski|date=22 July 2014|title=Dutch Take Over Lead of Malaysia Airlines Crash Investigation in Ukraine|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-makes-significant-gains-against-pro-russia-rebels-1406030208|access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref> An insurgent car bomb killed three soldiers during the fighting there. [[BM-21 Grad|Grad]] rocket attacks were launched against government forces garrisoned at [[Vesela Hora, Luhansk Oblast|Vesela Hora]], [[Kamysheve]], and also Luhansk airport. The press centre for the government military operation said that situation remained "most complex" in the areas around "Donetsk city, Luhansk city, [[Krasnodon]] and [[Popasna]]".<ref name="IFgrad">{{Cite news |date=22 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian army says militants fired Grad systems against Luhansk airport |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/214797.html |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref> Government forces broke through the insurgent blockade around Donetsk airport on 23 July and then advanced into the northwestern corner of Donetsk city.<ref name="DHwi" />
Subsequently, the insurgents withdrew from many areas on the outskirts of the city, including [[Karlivka, Donetsk Oblast|Karlivka]], {{ill|Netailove|uk|Нетайлове|vertical-align=sup}}, {{ill|Pervomaiske (Yasynuvata Raion)|uk|Первомайське (Ясинуватський район)|lt=Pervomaiske|vertical-align=sup}}, and the area around Donetsk airport.<ref name="DHwi">{{Cite news |date=23 July 2014 |title=Ukraine rebels withdraw from Donetsk outskirts |work=Deccan Herald |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/421377/ukraine-rebels-withdraw-donetsk-outskirts.html |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref> Insurgent commander Igor Girkin said that this was done to fortify Donetsk city centre, and also to avoid being encircled by government forces. He also said that he did not expect a government incursion into Donetsk city centre.<ref name="DHwi" /> Meanwhile, clashes continued in [[Shakhtarsk Raion]], along the border with Russia. Amidst the fighting, two Ukrainian [[Su-25]] fighter jets that had been providing air support to ground forces near [[Dmytrivka, Donetsk Oblast|Dmytrivka]] were shot down by the insurgents.<ref name="IFshdsd">{{Cite news |date=23 July 2014 |title=Militants shot down two Su-25 Ukrainian attack aircraft with air defense missile system – ATO press center |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215078.html |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref>
By the next day, government forces recaptured [[Lysychansk]].<ref name="KPlys">{{Cite news |date=24 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian troops enter Lysychansk |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-troops-enter-lysychansk-357777.html |access-date=24 July 2014}}</ref> On the same day, fighting raged around [[Horlivka]].<ref name="KPadafaf">{{Cite news |date=25 July 2014 |title=Ukraine Advances After Heavy Fighting |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-advances-after-heavy-fighting-357839.html |access-date=24 July 2014}}</ref> Government forces launched air and artillery strikes on insurgents within the city, and clashes were fought all around it. One important bridge collapsed in the fighting, severing a critical route out of the city. People fled the violence in cars and on foot.<ref name="KPadafaf" /> Despite these advances by the Armed Forces, the border with Russia was not secured. [[Izvaryne]] border post in Luhansk Oblast, which is controlled by the Army of the South-East, was reported to be the main entry point for weapons and reinforcements from Russia.<ref name="KPadafaf" /> Shelling began again in the [[Kyivskyi District, Donetsk|Kyivskyi]], [[Kirovskyi District, Donetsk|Kirovskyi]] and [[Petrovsky District, Donetsk|Petrovskyi]] districts of Donetsk city. According to Donetsk city administration, 11 houses were damaged in Petrovsky, and at least one man was injured.<ref name="IFdonf">{{Cite news |date=24 July 2014 |title=Fighting taking place in Donetsk suburb – city council |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215243.html |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref> The fighting continued overnight into 26 July, with explosions, shelling, and shooting heard across the city.<ref name="Reusheead">{{Cite news |last=Vasovic |first=Aleksandar |date=26 July 2014 |title=Shelling echoes around Donetsk as Kiev presses against rebels |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-donetsk-idUSL6N0Q10BQ20140726 |access-date=26 July 2014}}</ref>
During the third day of the government's offensive on the insurgent-stronghold of [[Horlivka]], between 20 and 30 civilians were killed on 27 July.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Oliphant |first=Roland |date=27 July 2014 |title=Fierce fighting in Ukraine prevents Dutch forces reaching MH17 crash site |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10993931/Fierce-fighting-in-Ukraine-prevents-Dutch-forces-reaching-MH17-crash-site.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10993931/Fierce-fighting-in-Ukraine-prevents-Dutch-forces-reaching-MH17-crash-site.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=27 July 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Horlivka was virtually abandoned, with electric power and water cut off. Shelling damaged or destroyed many buildings, including a hospital, greengrocer's, and energy company office.<ref name="horlivWP">{{Cite news |date=27 July 2014 |title=As fighting continues in east Ukraine, U.S. releases images said to implicate Russia |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/fierce-battle-between-military-and-rebels-in-eastern-ukraine-halts-plane-investigation/2014/07/27/b695809c-1582-11e4-9e3b-7f2f110c6265_story.html |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref> Ukrainian troops also entered the town of [[Shakhtarsk]], fought the insurgents that had been occupying it, and captured it around 14:30.<ref name="NDN">{{Cite news |date=27 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian troops liberated Shakhtersk |language=ru |work=News of Donbas |url=http://novosti.dn.ua/details/230767/ |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref> This cut off the supply corridor between the territories held by the DPR and LPR, isolating insurgents in Donetsk city.<ref name="MS">{{Cite news |date=27 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian Forces Battle For Horlivka |work=Morning Star |url=http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-4d5f-Ukrainian-forces-battle-for-Horlivka |url-status=dead |access-date=27 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728151729/http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-4d5f-Ukrainian-forces-battle-for-Horlivka |archive-date=28 July 2014}}</ref>
Skirmishes also broke out in the nearby towns of [[Snizhne]] and [[Torez]]. The intense combat across [[Shakhtarsk Raion]] forced a party of Dutch and Australian policemen to call off an attempt to investigate the crash site of [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 17]].<ref name="guard1346">{{Cite news |last=Farrell |first=Paul |date=27 July 2014 |title=MH17: Dutch and Australian experts forced to delay mission due to fighting |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/27/mh17-crash-site-access-ukraine-investigators |access-date=14 December 2019 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> 41 Ukrainian soldiers deserted their posts and went to the insurgent-controlled [[Izvaryne]] border crossing, where they told insurgents that they refused to fight against their "own people".<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 July 2014 |title=Over 40 Ukrainian Soldiers Flee to Russia |url=https://m.azh.kz/index.php/en/news/view/4405 |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref> The insurgents allowed them to flee Ukraine, and cross into Russia.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} By 28 July, the strategic heights of [[Savur-Mohyla]] were under Ukrainian control, along with the town of [[Debaltseve]].<ref name="IFheights">{{Cite news |date=28 July 2014 |title=ATO forces take over Debaltseve, Shakhtarsk, Torez, Lutuhyne, fighting for Pervomaisk and Snizhne underway – ATO press center |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215712.html |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref>
Insurgents had previously used Savur-Mohyla to shell Ukrainian troops around the town of Marynivka.<ref name="IFsac">{{Cite news |date=28 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian Armed Forces take control of Savur-Mohyla – report to president |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215685.html |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref> By 29 July, a further 17 civilians had been killed in the fighting, along with an additional 43 people injured.<ref name="IFhorlier">{{Cite news |date=29 July 2014 |title=Seventeen civilians, including three children, killed in gunfire in Horlivka in past 24 hours |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215876.html |access-date=29 July 2014}}</ref> Shelling continued in the [[Leninskyi District, Donetsk|Leninskyi]] and [[Kyivskyi District, Donetsk|Kyivskyi]] districts of Donetsk city. According to the city administration, these districts were heavily damaged.<ref name="IFdau">{{Cite news |date=29 July 2014 |title=Donetsk authorities report overnight shelling of city |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215865.html |access-date=29 July 2014}}</ref>
According to a report by [[National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine]], crossing points on the border with Russia were attacked from Russian territory at least 153 times since 5 June.<ref name="KPBC">{{Cite news |date=29 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian border checkpoints come under over 150 attacks from Russia since June 5 |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-border-checkpoints-come-under-over-150-attacks-from-russia-since-june-5-358484.html |access-date=29 July 2014}}</ref> 27 border guardsmen were killed in these attacks, and 185 were injured. Government forces made a further advance on 30 July, when they evicted insurgents from [[Avdiivka]], near Donetsk airport.<ref name="BBCstrat">{{Cite news |date=30 July 2014 |title=Army claims strategic town in Donetsk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28559482 |access-date=30 July 2014}}</ref> Military operations were paused on 31 July.<ref name="BBChalt">{{Cite news |date=13 July 2014 |title=Ukraine MH17: Forensic scientists reach jet crash site |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28581722 |access-date=31 July 2014}}</ref> This was meant to allow international experts to examine the crash site of [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 17]], which is located in [[Shakhtarsk Raion]], where the fiercest battles had been taking place on the previous few days. Monitors were escorted to the site by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After fighting severed various transmission lines, Luhansk city lost all access to electrical power.<ref name="IFpower">{{Cite news |date=31 July 2014 |title=Luhansk is fully without power – mayor's office |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/216353.html |access-date=31 July 2014}}</ref> Little fuel remained to power emergency generators. Minor skirmishes occurred in Vasylivka and Zhovtneve.<ref name="IFafaddwdw">{{Cite news |date=31 July 2014 |title=Donetsk city council reports fighting near Zhovtneve |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/216351.html |access-date=31 July 2014}}</ref> Meanwhile, talks between the separatists, Russia, Ukraine, and the OSCE were held in [[Minsk]].<ref name="BBChalt" /> Fighting continued in [[Shakhtarsk]]. An ambush by the insurgents on government forces there resulted in the deaths of ten soldiers.<ref name="BBC19">{{Cite news |date=1 August 2014 |title=Air crash team finds human remains |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28599315 |access-date=1 August 2014}}</ref> 11 went missing, and 13 were wounded. A government offensive on the city of [[Pervomaisk, Luhansk Oblast|Pervomaisk]] in Luhansk Oblast continued.<ref name="BBC19" />
[[File:Damaged building in Snizhne, August 6, 2014.jpg|thumb|left|Damaged building in [[Snizhne]], 6 August 2014]]
Following a series of military defeats, Igor Girkin, insurgent commander for the DPR, urged Russian military intervention, and said that the combat inexperience of his irregular forces, along with recruitment difficulties amongst the local population in Donetsk Oblast had caused the setbacks. He addressed Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]], saying that "Losing this war on the territory that President Vladimir Putin personally named New Russia would threaten the Kremlin's power and, personally, the power of the president".<ref name="The Daily Beast">{{Cite news |date=25 July 2014 |title=Putin's Number One Gunman in Ukraine Warns Him of Possible Defeat |work=The Daily Beast |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/25/putin-s-number-one-gunman-in-ukraine-warns-him-of-possible-defeat.html |access-date=2 August 2014}}</ref> Government forces closed in on Luhansk and Donetsk cities on 3 August.<ref name="BBCfs">{{Cite news |date=3 August 2014 |title=Donetsk and Luhansk 'facing siege' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28630391 |access-date=3 August 2014}}</ref>
A number of civilians were killed in fighting in both cities. Luhansk was reported to be "virtually surrounded", with little electrical power or water supply available. The situation in the city of Donetsk was less dire, as trains to Russia were still running, but fighting and shelling did not relent.<ref name="BBCfs" /> According to the Armed Forces, three-quarters of the territory once held by the insurgents had been recaptured.<ref name="NYReuisd">{{Cite news |date=3 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian Army Steps Up Attacks on Rebel-Held Donetsk |work=The New York Times |agency=Reuters |location=Donetsk |url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/08/03/world/europe/03reuters-urkaine-crisis-east.html?ref=world&_r=0 |access-date=3 August 2014}}</ref> They also said that they had completely cut off supply lines between the DPR and LPR, after more than a week of fighting in [[Shakhtarsk Raion]].<ref name="tsnsrer">{{Cite news |date=3 August 2014 |title=Силам АТО нарешті вдалося розділити терористів на Донбасі на дві групи (Force ATO finally managed to divide terrorists into two groups Donbas) |language=uk |publisher=TSN.ua |location=Ukraine |url=http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/silam-ato-nareshti-vdalosya-rozdiliti-teroristiv-na-donbasi-na-dvi-grupi-361740.html |access-date=3 August 2014}}</ref>
After a prolonged battle, the Armed Forces recaptured the vital town of [[Yasynuvata]] on 4 August.<ref name="reuyasn">{{Cite news |date=4 August 2014 |title=Kiev says it recaptures rail hub in east Ukraine, five soldiers killed |work=Reuters |location=Kiev |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-east-idUSL6N0QA2B020140804 |access-date=4 August 2014}}</ref> At least five soldiers died in the fighting to capture the town, which is a strategic railway junction on the main road between Donetsk and Luhansk cities. The pro-government paramilitary [[Azov Battalion|Azov]] and Shakhtarsk battalions said that they had advanced into Donetsk city, and had begun to "liberate" it.<ref name="KP482014">{{Cite news |date=4 August 2014 |title=Donetsk faces the threat of urban warfare as Ukrainian forces move to encircle city |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/donetsk-faces-threat-of-urban-warfare-as-ukrainian-forces-move-to-encircle-city-359270.html |access-date=4 August 2014}}</ref> The Ukrainian government said that all civilians should evacuate from Donetsk, and issued statements asking DPR and LPR forces to help establish "humanitarian corridors" to allow civilians in Donetsk, Luhansk and Horlivka to flee.<ref name="48ifad">{{Cite news |date=4 August 2014 |title=ATO command suggests militants establishing humanitarian corridors from Luhansk, Donetsk and Horlivka |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/216860.html |access-date=4 August 2014}}</ref> Commenting on the situation in Luhansk, mayor Sergei Kravchenko said "As a result of the blockade and ceaseless rocket attacks, the city is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe".<ref name="APcitydying">{{Cite news |date=4 August 2014 |title=East Ukraine city dying under siege |agency=Associated Press |url=http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2014-08-04-EU--Ukraine/id-026c885872c84d199627f0901371df87 |access-date=4 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808054305/http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2014-08-04-EU--Ukraine/id-026c885872c84d199627f0901371df87 |archive-date=8 August 2014}}</ref>
As government troops pushed into Donetsk on 5 August, heavy fighting erupted at 17:00 in the Petrovskyi district of the city.<ref name="BBCdonhf">{{Cite news |date=5 August 2014 |title=Ukraine rebel-held Donetsk sees 'heavy fighting' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28665050 |access-date=5 August 2014}}</ref> Elsewhere, insurgents recaptured the town of Yasynuvata after a retreat by government forces.<ref name="REUdadadfgege">{{Cite news |date=5 August 2014 |title=Ukraine keeps up anti-rebel offensive with nervous eye on Russia |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-action-idUSKBN0G50UW20140805 |access-date=5 August 2014}}</ref> A spokesman from the [[National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine]] said that the Armed Forces left the town to avoid harming the "peaceful population", and that the city was being evacuated so that it could be "completely liberated".<ref name="Ukrinformadadwer">{{Cite news |date=5 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian forces leave Yasynuvata |work=National News Agency of Ukraine |url=http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/ukrainian_forces_leave_yasynuvata_324879 |url-status=dead |access-date=5 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805171010/http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/ukrainian_forces_leave_yasynuvata_324879 |archive-date=5 August 2014}}</ref> He also said that the railway station remained under government control, and that all railway traffic had been blocked. Fighting between insurgents and government forces across the Donbas region continued "constantly" over the course of the day.<ref name="UKDadef">{{Cite news |date=6 August 2014 |title=Terrorists have no strength for counterattack – NSDC |work=National News Agency of Ukraine |url=http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/terrorists_have_no_strength_for_counterattack___nsdc_324883 |url-status=dead |access-date=6 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140806044230/http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/terrorists_have_no_strength_for_counterattack___nsdc_324883 |archive-date=6 August 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Burning apartment building in Shahtersk, August 3, 2014.jpg|thumb|Burning block of flats in [[Shakhtarsk]], 3 August 2014]]
Fighting and shelling continued around Donetsk on 8 August, with several civilians killed or injured.<ref>{{Cite news |last=<!-- staff writer(s); no by-line. --> |date=7 August 2014 |title=Ukraine's Donetsk becomes ghost town as national forces shell separatists |publisher=Fox News |url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/08/07/battle-for-ghost-town-ukraines-donetsk-empties-as-national-forces-shell/}}</ref> By 9 August, insurgent commander Igor Girkin said that Donetsk had been "completely encircled" by government forces.<ref name="BBC892014">{{Cite news |date=9 August 2014 |title=Army closes in on Donetsk rebels |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28724487 |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> This followed the capture of the vital town of [[Krasnyi Luch]] by the government, after insurgent-aligned Cossacks stationed there fled.<ref name="BBC892014" /> Further skirmishes between insurgents and the Armed Forces took place in [[Mnohopillia]], [[Stepanivka]], [[Hryhorivka]], Krasny Yar, Pobeda, [[Shyshkove]], [[Komyshna|Komyshne]], [[Novohannivka]], [[Krasna Talivka]], [[Dmytrivka, Donetsk Oblast|Dmytrivka]], [[Sabivka]], and Luhansk airport.<ref name="UKdefegf">{{Cite news |date=9 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian troops attack terrorists in 12 localities |work=National News Agency of Ukraine |url=http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/ukrainian_troops_attack_terrorists_in_12_localities_325119 |url-status=dead |access-date=10 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809160620/http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/ukrainian_troops_attack_terrorists_in_12_localities_325119 |archive-date=9 August 2014}}</ref>
Overnight and into 10 August, government forces launched an artillery barrage on Donetsk city, causing "massive damage" across it.<ref name="BBC1082014">{{Cite news |date=10 August 2014 |title=Army pounds rebels in Donetsk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28732180 |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref> According to a spokesman for the Armed Forces, insurgents began to flee the city during the barrage, and were in a state of "panic and chaos". Hospitals and residential buildings were heavily damaged, and many remaining residents took shelter in basements.<ref name="BBC1082014" /> The cities of [[Pervomaisk, Luhansk Oblast|Pervomaisk]], Kalynove, Komyshuvakha, in western Luhansk Oblast near [[Popasna]], were captured by government forces on 12 August after heavy fighting.<ref name="IFlibererqw">{{Cite news |date=12 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian troops liberate Pervomaisk, Kalynove, Komyshuvakha in west of Luhansk region – ATO press center |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/218108.html |access-date=12 August 2014}}</ref> Heavy shelling of Donetsk continued into 14 August.<ref name="BBC142014">{{Cite news |date=14 August 2014 |title=Shells hit Donetsk amid Russia convoy row |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28788945 |access-date=14 August 2014}}</ref>
During this artillery barrage, Igor Girkin resigned from his post as commander of the insurgent forces of the Donetsk People's Republic.<ref name="Girkinquits">{{Cite news |date=14 August 2014 |title=Rebel military chief Strelkov 'quits' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28792966 |access-date=14 August 2014}}</ref> He was replaced by [[Vladimir Kononov (military)|Vladimir Kononov]], who is known by the [[nom de guerre]] ''Tsar''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Babiak |first=Mat |date=14 August 2014 |title='Strelkov' resigns from post following news of severe injury |publisher=Ukrainian Policy |url=http://ukrainianpolicy.com/strelkov-resigns-from-post-following-news-of-severe-injury/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402164702/http://ukrainianpolicy.com/strelkov-resigns-from-post-following-news-of-severe-injury/ |archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref> Girkin's resignation, along with the 7 August resignation of DPR prime minister [[Alexander Borodai]] (who was replaced by [[Alexander Zakharchenko]]), represented a shift in the nature of the conflict. Given the recent military failings of the DPR and the LPR, Russia decided that it could no longer rely on a patchwork of irregular fighters in the Donbas, and ordered a change in leadership.<ref name="de9">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=56–57 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref> It abandoned the separatist project, and replaced it with the idea of federalisation of Donbas within Ukraine. To effect this change, it would soon switch gears from hybrid warfare to conventional warfare.<ref name="de22">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=52–54 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref>
Later in the day on 14 August, a convoy of some two dozen armoured personnel carriers and other vehicles with official Russian military plates crossed into Ukraine near the insurgent-controlled [[Izvaryne]] border crossing.<ref name="GDmvew">{{Cite news |date=14 August 2014 |title=Russian military vehicles enter Ukraine as aid convoy stops short of border |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/14/russian-military-vehicles-enter-ukraine-aid-convoy-stops-short-border |access-date=15 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="BBCAMC">{{Cite news |date=15 August 2014 |title=Ukraine 'hits Russia armoured column' amid aid impasse |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28810622 |access-date=15 August 2014}}</ref> NATO Secretary General [[Anders Fogh Rasmussen]] confirmed that a "Russian incursion" into Ukraine had occurred.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 August 2014 |title=Russian aid convoy checked; NATO spots 'incursion' into Ukraine |publisher=CNBC |agency=Reuters |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/08/15/russia-masses-military-vehicles-as-aid-convoy-waits-near-ukraine-border.html#_gus |access-date=15 August 2014}}</ref> Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said that Ukrainian artillery engaged and destroyed a "significant" portion of the armoured column.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=President of Ukraine and Prime Minister of Great Britain discussed international efforts on the settlement of the conflict in the Donbas |date=15 August 2014 |publisher=Office of the President of Ukraine |url=http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/30998.html |access-date=15 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815172818/http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/30998.html |archive-date=15 August 2014}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Defence (Russia)|Russian Defence Ministry]] denied the existence of any such convoy.<ref name="BBCdst">{{Cite news |date=15 August 2014 |title=Russia denies sending troops and weapons in to Ukraine |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28813047 |access-date=19 August 2014}}</ref> Following this incident, the newly appointed prime minister of the DPR [[Alexander Zakharchenko]] said that his forces included 1,200 Russian-trained combatants.<ref name="BBCraonw">{{Cite news |date=16 August 2014 |title=Rebel leader says Russian arms on way |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28817347 |access-date=16 August 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Damaged building in Donetsk, August 7, 2014.jpg|thumb|left|Damaged building in [[Donetsk]], 7 August 2014]]
A Ukrainian Air Force [[MiG-29]] fighter jet was shot down by the insurgents in [[Luhansk Oblast]] on 17 August. Ten civilians were killed during continued shelling in Donetsk.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian fighter plane shot down by pro-Russia rebels |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/17/ukraine-fighter-jet-shot-down |access-date=17 August 2014}}</ref> The insurgent-occupied city of Horlivka was encircled by the Armed Forces on 18 August.<ref name="BBC24242">{{Cite news |date=18 August 2014 |title=Ukraine refugee convoy hit by rockets, says military |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28832873 |access-date=18 August 2014}}</ref> Government forces also advanced into the edges of Luhansk city. A convoy of refugees from Luhansk [[Luhansk refugee convoy attack|was hit by Grad rockets]] near the village of [[Novosvitlivka, Luhansk Oblast|Novosvitlivka]]. Dozens of civilians died in the attack, which the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine blamed on the insurgents. Insurgents denied attacking any refugee convoys.<ref name="BBC24242" /> DPR prime minister [[Aleksandr Zakharchenko]] stated that if the Ukrainian government made "reasonable proposals to lay down arms, close borders, we will talk on equal terms as equal partners".<ref name="hardware that we took from the Ukrainian military" /> He added, however, that the government "must recognise us as a state, now it is already impossible to ask for a certain degree of autonomy".<ref name="hardware that we took from the Ukrainian military">[http://tass.ru/en/world/745598 Donetsk Republic prime minister says militia ready for reasonable talks with Kiev], [[Information Telegraph Agency of Russia]] (19 August 2014)</ref>
After having edged into Luhansk city on 18 August, government forces began to advance through the city "block by block" on 19 August.<ref name="BBCalcta">{{Cite news |date=19 August 2014 |title=Ukraine street battles in Luhansk as troops advance |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28858542 |access-date=19 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="IFgfclea">{{Cite news |date=19 August 2014 |title=Government forces continue to clear Luhansk of militants – interior minister's adviser |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/219015.html |access-date=19 August 2014}}</ref> Fighting was heard in streets across the city, and shelling of many insurgent-occupied districts continued. There was also fighting [[Makiivka]] and [[Ilovaisk]], two cities just outside Donetsk city. A spokesman for the Internal Affairs Ministry said that government forces were "clearing" Ilovaisk of insurgents, and later captured most of the city.<ref name="BBCalcta" /><ref name="UKRINnanewsf">{{Cite news |date=19 August 2014 |title=Government forces clearing Ilovaisk of snipers |work=National News Agency of Ukraine |url=http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/government_forces_clearing_ilovaisk_of_snipers_325474 |url-status=dead |access-date=19 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819163725/http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/government_forces_clearing_ilovaisk_of_snipers_325474 |archive-date=19 August 2014}}</ref> The headquarters of the DPR in Donetsk city were also shelled. Fighting across Donetsk Oblast on 19 August resulted in the deaths of 34 civilians.<ref name="BBCfbftl">{{Cite news |date=20 August 2014 |title=Fierce battle for town of Ilovaisk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28866283 |access-date=20 August 2014}}</ref> By early evening on 20 August, government forces said that they had recaptured "significant parts" of the city of Luhansk, after a series of running battles in streets throughout the day.<ref name="YHmol">{{Cite news |date=20 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian govt troops take over much of Luhansk |work=Yahoo News |agency=Associated Press |location=Donetsk |url=https://news.yahoo.com/fighting-outside-key-ukrainian-city-kills-9-troops-091723576.html |access-date=20 August 2014}}</ref>
=== August 2014 invasion by Russian forces ===
{{Main|Battle of Ilovaisk|Battle of Novoazovsk}}
{{Further|Russo-Ukrainian War}}
[[File:Ukrainian troops guard a road in Donbass.jpg|thumb|Ukrainian troops guarding a road in Donbas]]
By 25 August, an insurgent counter-offensive had stalled the government's offensive on Donetsk and Luhansk cities.<ref name="Stfore2">{{Cite news |date=25 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian Separatists Fight Back to Maintain Supply Lines |work=Stratfor |url=http://www.stratfor.com/sample/analysis/after-re-establishing-supply-lines-ukrainian-separatists-launch-counteroffensive |url-status=dead |access-date=26 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826212148/http://www.stratfor.com/sample/analysis/after-re-establishing-supply-lines-ukrainian-separatists-launch-counteroffensive |archive-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Insurgents attacked government positions in [[Shchastia]], and along the [[Siverskyi Donets]] River in Luhansk Oblast. As this attack occurred, insurgents in Luhansk received reinforcements. Government forces near [[Ilovaisk]] and [[Amvrosiivka]] in Donetsk Oblast became surrounded by insurgents, after their attempt to take Ilovaisk was halted by heavy shelling.<ref name="Stfore2" /> The pro-government volunteer [[Donbas Battalion]], trapped in the city for days by the insurgents, accused the Ukrainian government and Armed Forces of "abandoning" them.<ref name="NYTvoceuk">{{Cite news |last=Mackey |first=Robert |date=27 August 2014 |title=Video of Combat in Eastern Ukraine Adds to Worries in Kiev |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/world/europe/video-of-combat-in-eastern-ukraine-adds-to-worries-in-kiev.html |access-date=27 August 2014}}</ref>
Other volunteer battalions, such as the [[Azov Battalion|Azov]] and [[Dnipro Battalion|Dnipro]], left Ilovaisk after encountering heavy resistance. Donbas Battalion leader [[Semen Semenchenko]] said "I think it is profitable for the defence ministry not to send help, but to achieve a situation where volunteer battalions start blaming each other about who helped who".<ref name="KP23215">{{Cite news |date=24 August 2014 |title=Abandoned Donbas Battalion fights on |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/abandoned-donbas-battalion-fights-on-361886.html |access-date=27 August 2014}}</ref>
DPR forces stated their intention to "fight their way to the [[Azov Sea]]" on 23 August.<ref name="azovsea2">{{cite news|url=http://en.ria.ru/world/20140823/192282525/Donetsk-Militia-Fighting-its-Way-to-Azov-Sea.html |title=Donetsk Militia Fighting its Way to Azov Sea |agency=[[RIA Novosti]] |date=23 August 2014 |access-date=30 August 2014 |archive-date=28 August 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828111422/http://en.ria.ru/world/20140823/192282525/Donetsk-Militia-Fighting-its-Way-to-Azov-Sea.html}}</ref> In line with this statement, an artillery barrage rained down on the coastal city of [[Novoazovsk]], in southern Donetsk Oblast.<ref name="azovsea2"/> A column of armoured vehicles crossed into Ukraine from Russia near [[Novoazovsk]] on 25 August.<ref name="nyt1" /><ref name="BBCcfrmom">{{Cite news |date=25 August 2014 |title='Column from Russia' moves on Mariupol |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28924945 |access-date=25 August 2014}}</ref> There were no insurgent formations within {{convert|30|km|mi|frac=3}} of this area for many weeks.<ref name="REU26AUG2014">{{Cite news |date=26 August 2014 |title=In Ukraine, an armoured column appears out of nowhere |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-novoazovsk-idUKKBN0GQ19Y20140826 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Heavy fighting took place in the village of Markyne, {{convert|7|km|mi|frac=4}} from Novoazovsk. Insurgents used the village as a base to shell Novoazovsk.<ref name="REU242425">{{Cite news |date=25 August 2014 |title=Ukraine accuses Russia of opening new front before leaders' meeting |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-column-idUSKBN0GP0MB20140825 |access-date=25 August 2014}}</ref> A spokesman for the [[National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine]] said that the entrance of the column into Ukraine was an attempt "by the Russian military in the guise of Donbas fighters to open a new area of military confrontation".<ref name="BBCcfrmom" />
[[File:War in donbass.svg|thumb|left|300px]]
According to the Mariupol city website, the [[Dnipro Battalion|Dnipro]] and [[Donbas Battalion|Donbas]] battalions repelled the attack, and the "invaders" retreated to the border.<ref name="UK242ed3r">{{Cite news |date=25 August 2014 |title=Terrorists retreating from Novoazovsk to border |work=National News Agency of Ukraine |url=http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/terrorists_retreating_from_novoazovsk_to_border_325628 |url-status=dead |access-date=25 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626205659/http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/terrorists_retreating_from_novoazovsk_to_border_325628 |archive-date=26 June 2015}}</ref> Russian Foreign Minister [[Sergei Lavrov]] said he had no knowledge of the incident, and suggested that reports of the incident being an incursion by Russian forces were "disinformation."<ref name="REU24372">{{Cite news |date=25 August 2014 |title=Ukraine Accuses Russia of Opening New Front Before Putin-Poroshenko Meeting |work=Reuters |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-idINL5N0QV33V20140825 |access-date=25 August 2014}}</ref> Directly prior to the appearance of the column, the area was heavily shelled. The nearest insurgent artillery positions were beyond the range of this area.<ref name="REU26AUG2014" />
Villagers from [[Kolosky]] in [[Starobesheve Raion]] told [[Reuters]] that military men with Russian accents and no identifying insignias had appeared in the village at the weekend of 23–24 August.<ref name="REUmigewe">{{Cite news |date=26 August 2014 |title='Men in green' raise suspicions of east Ukrainian villagers |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-fighters-idUSKBN0GQ1X520140826 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> They set up a roadblock near the village. The men wore distinctive white armbands.<ref name="REUmigewe" /> The villagers referred to them as "[[Little green men (GRU)|polite green men]]", a term that was used to refer to the irregular Russian forces that took [[2014 Crimean crisis|control of Crimea]] from February 2014. Following the appearance of these men, ten soldiers in green military uniforms with white armbands were detained by Ukrainian forces at [[Dzerkalne]]. This village is north of Novoazovosk, {{convert|7|km|mi|frac=4}} from Kolosky, and about {{convert|20|km|mi}} from the Russian border.<ref name="REUmigewe" /><ref name="BBCcrtoi">{{Cite news |date=26 August 2014 |title=Captured Russian troops 'in Ukraine by accident' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28934213 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>
The Russian military confirmed that these men were Russian paratroopers and that they had been captured. The Russian Defence Ministry said the men had entered Ukraine "by mistake during an exercise".<ref name="REUmigewe" /><ref name="BBCcrtoi" /> The [[Security Service of Ukraine]] (SBU) released videos that they said were interviews with the captive Russian soldiers. In one of the videos, a soldier said that their commanders had sent them on a {{convert|70|km|mi|adj=on|frac=4}} march "without explaining its purpose or warning that they would be in Ukrainian territory, where they were apprehended by Ukrainian forces and surrendered without a fight".<ref name="MTrpiuk">{{Cite news |date=26 August 2014 |title=Russian Paratroops in Ukraine: Lost in Media Haze |work=The Moscow Times |url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-paratroops-in-ukraine-lost-in-media-haze-video/505944.html |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>
Insurgents pushed into [[Novoazovsk]] on 27 August.<ref name="NYT2782014" /><ref name="BBC27AUG">{{Cite news |date=27 August 2014 |title=Rebels push into port of Novoazovsk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28951319 |access-date=27 August 2014}}</ref> Whilst the Ukrainian government said they were in "total control" of Novoazovsk, town mayor Oleg Sidorkin confirmed that the insurgents had captured it.<ref name="BBC27AUG" /> He also said that "dozens" of tanks and armoured vehicles had been used by the insurgents in their assault on the town. At least four civilians were injured by insurgent shelling. To the north, close to [[Starobesheve]], Ukrainian forces said that they spotted a column of 100 armoured vehicles, tanks, and Grad rocket lorries that was heading south, toward Novoazovsk.<ref name="BBC27AUG" /> They said these vehicles were marked with "white circles or triangles", similar to the white armbands seen on the captured Russian paratroopers earlier in the week. Amidst pressure on this new third front, government forces retreated westward toward [[Mariupol]].<ref name="NYT2782014" />
They evacuated the town of [[Starobesheve]], among other areas in the {{convert|75|km|mi|adj=on}} stretch of borderland from the [[Sea of Azov]] to the existing insurgent-held territories.<ref name="NYT2782014" /><ref name="AJfukc">{{Cite news |date=27 August 2014 |title=Fighting for Ukraine's coastline intensifies |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/08/fighting-ukraine-coastline-intensifies-201482718054359321.html |access-date=27 August 2014}}</ref> A report by ''The New York Times'' described the retreating soldiers as "exhausted, filthy and dismayed".<ref name="NYT2782014" /> Western officials described the new insurgent actions as a "stealth invasion" by the Russian Federation, with tanks, artillery and infantry said to have crossed into Ukraine from Russian territory. [[US State Department]] spokesman [[Jen Psaki]] said that "these incursions indicate a Russian-directed counteroffensive is likely underway", and Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]] said "An invasion of Russian forces has taken place".<ref name="NYT2782014" /><ref name="REUuars">{{Cite news |date=28 August 2014 |title=Ukraine accuses Russia of launching invasion |work=Reuters |location=Kyiv |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-russia-soldiers-idINKBN0GS0X220140828 |access-date=28 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="Pgov31102">{{Cite press release |title=President cancelled his visit to Turkey and urgently convenes the NSDC meeting |date=28 August 2014 |publisher=Office of the President of Ukraine |url=http://president.gov.ua/en/news/31102.html |access-date=28 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828134712/http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/31102.html |archive-date=28 August 2014}}</ref> A statement by the [[National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine]] (NSDC) later said that Novoazovsk had been captured by "Russian troops", despite earlier denials by the Ukrainian government.<ref name="BBC28Aug2014">{{Cite news |date=28 August 2014 |title='Russian troops deployed' in Ukraine – Poroshenko |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28967526 |access-date=28 August 2014}}</ref>
According to the NSDC, Ukrainian troops withdrew from Novoazovsk to save lives, and were instead preparing defences in [[Mariupol]]. Meanwhile, fighting continued in and around Donetsk city. Shells fell on the [[Kalininskyi District, Donetsk|Kalininskyi district]] of Donetsk, and the [[Donbas Battalion]] continued to fight against the insurgents that had trapped them in [[Ilovaisk]] for days.<ref name="NYTvoceuk" /><ref name="REUuars" /><ref name="OSCE28AUG">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 27 August 2014 |date=28 August 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/123030 |access-date=28 August 2014}}</ref> NATO commander Brig. Gen. Nico Tak said on 28 August that "well over" 1,000 Russian soldiers were operating in the Donbas conflict zone.<ref name="NY28Aug2014">{{Cite news |last1=MacFarquhar |first1=Neil |last2=Gordon |first2=Michael R. |date=28 August 2014 |title=Over 1,000 Russian Soldiers Join Fight, NATO Says |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/world/europe/ukraine-russia-nato-photos.html |access-date=28 August 2014}}</ref> Amidst what ''The New York Times'' described as "chaos" in the conflict zone, the insurgents re-captured [[Savur-Mohyla]].<ref name="NYT2782014" />
Despite these advances by pro-Russian forces, the National Guard of Ukraine temporarily retook the city of [[Komsomolske, Donetsk Oblast|Komsomolske]] in [[Starobesheve Raion]] of [[Donetsk Oblast]] on 29 August.<ref name="KPkomso">{{Cite news |date=29 August 2014 |title=Ukraine National Guard now controlling Komsomolske in Donetsk region |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-national-guard-now-controlling-komsomolske-in-donetsk-region-362529.html |access-date=29 August 2014}}</ref> However, two days later, Ukrainian forces retreated from the city, and Komsomolske was once again taken by the DPR forces.<ref name="komsomolske">{{Cite news |date=31 August 2014 |title=As Ukrainian troops retreat, separatists celebrate new offensive |work=Digital Journal |url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/as-ukrainian-troops-retreat-separatists-celebrate-new-offensive/article/400465 |access-date=2 September 2014}}</ref> Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces retreated from [[Novosvitlivka, Luhansk Oblast|Novosvitlivka]] after being attacked by what they said were "Russian tanks". They said that every house in the village was destroyed.<ref name="BBC30AUG">{{Cite news |date=30 August 2014 |title=EU 'must act on Russia aggression' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28993873 |access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref> The trapped [[Donbas Battalion]] withdrew from [[Ilovaisk]] on 30 August after negotiating an agreement with pro-Russian forces. According to some of the troops who withdrew from Ilovaisk, DPR forces violated the agreement and fired on them whilst they retreated under [[white flag]]s, killing as many as several dozen.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 August 2014 |title=PRO-RUSSIA REBELS CONFIDENT AFTER MAKING GAINS |agency=Associated Press |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/pro-russia-rebels-confident-after-making-gains |access-date=30 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140902000911/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/pro-russia-rebels-confident-after-making-gains |archive-date=2 September 2014}}</ref>
[[File:2014. Донецк 464.jpg|thumb|left|People queueing for water in Donetsk, 22 August 2014]]
[[File:Arseniy Yatsenyuk awarding wounded volunteers.jpg|thumb|Ukrainian Prime Minister [[Arseniy Yatsenyuk]] awarding Donbas Battalion volunteers, 1 September 2014]]
A Ukrainian patrol boat in the [[Sea of Azov]] was hit by shore-based artillery fire on 31 August.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Polityuk |first1=Pavel |last2=Vasovic |first2=Aleksandar |date=31 August 2014 |title=Rescue under way after separatists claim first attack on Ukrainian ship |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-boat-idUSKBN0GV0NA20140831 |access-date=1 September 2014}}</ref> Eight sailors were rescued from the sinking boat, whilst two crew-members were missing. Former insurgent commander [[Igor Girkin]] said that the insurgents had "dealt the enemy their first naval defeat". Government forces withdrew from [[Luhansk International Airport]] on 1 September, despite having held the airport from insurgent attacks for weeks prior.<ref name="BBC1SEPT">{{Cite news |date=1 September 2014 |title=Troops abandon Luhansk airport after clashes |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29009516 |access-date=1 September 2014}}</ref> The airport saw fierce fighting on the night before the withdrawal, and Ukrainian officials said that their forces at the airport had been attacked by a column of Russian tanks.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Amos |first1=Howard |last2=McElroy |first2=Damien |date=1 September 2014 |title=Ukraine withdraws from Luhansk airport after 'Russian tank column' attack |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11067351/Ukraine-battles-Russian-tank-column-near-Luhansk-ahead-of-Minsk-peace-talks.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11067351/Ukraine-battles-Russian-tank-column-near-Luhansk-ahead-of-Minsk-peace-talks.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=16 October 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Clashes also continued at [[Donetsk International Airport]].<ref name="BBC1SEPT" />
Heavy fighting was observed by OSCE monitors near the villages of [[Shyrokyne]] and [[Bezimenne, Novoazovsk Raion|Bezimenne]] on 4 September.<ref name="OSCE4SEPT">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 4 September 2014: The Situation in Mariupol |date=4 September 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/123210 |access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref> Respectively, these villages are {{convert|24|km|mi}} and {{convert|34|km|mi}} east of Mariupol. Ukrainian officials in Mariupol said that the situation there "was worsening by the hour", and that there was an imminent danger of an attack on the city.<ref name="OSCE4SEPT" /> DPR forces came within {{convert|5|km|mi|frac=4}} of the city on 4 September, but their advance was repulsed by an overnight counter-attack launched by the [[Armed Forces of Ukraine|Armed Forces]] and the [[Azov Battalion]].<ref name="GUA2424255">{{Cite news |date=5 September 2014 |title=Heavy shelling in Ukrainian port of Mariupol hours before agreed ceasefire |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/05/ukraine-heavy-shelling-hours-before-ceasefire-russia |access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref> They were driven back about {{convert|20|km|mi|frac=4}} east of the city. Constant shelling was heard on the outskirts of Mariupol.<ref name="GUA2424255" />
=== September 2014 ceasefire ===
{{Main|Minsk Protocol}}
{{See also|Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine|Second Battle of Donetsk Airport}}
[[File:Yurkevych-Andriy-pohoron-5452.jpg|thumb|A funeral service for a Ukrainian soldier, 11 September 2014]]
After days of peace talks in [[Minsk]] under the auspices of the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE), Ukraine, Russia, the DPR, and the LPR [[Minsk Protocol|agreed to a ceasefire]] on 5 September.<ref name="BBC2908">{{Cite news |date=5 September 2014 |title=Ukraine and pro-Russia rebels sign ceasefire deal |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29082574 |access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref> [[OSCE]] monitors said they would observe the ceasefire, and assist the Ukrainian government in implementing it.<ref name="OSCE5235">{{Cite press release |title=Chairperson-in-Office welcomes Minsk agreement, assures President Poroshenko of OSCE support |date=5 September 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/cio/123245 |access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref> According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', the agreement was an "almost verbatim" replication of Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]]'s failed June "[[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine#Fifteen-point peace plan|15-point peace plan]]".<ref name="NYT23425">{{Citation |last=MacFarquhar |first=Neil |title=Ukraine Deal Imposes Truce Putin Devised |date=5 September 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/06/world/europe/ukraine-cease-fire.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=6 September 2014}}</ref> It was agreed that there would be an [[Prisoner exchange|exchange]] of all prisoners taken by both sides, and that heavy weaponry should be removed from the combat zone.<ref name=NYT23425/><ref name="WP7SEPT2014"/>
Humanitarian corridors were meant to be maintained so that civilians could leave affected areas. President Poroshenko said that Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts would be granted "special status", and that use of the [[Russian language]] in these areas would be protected by law.<ref name=NYT23425/><ref name="WP7SEPT2014">{{Cite news |date=7 September 2014 |title=Ukraine's cease-fire in jeopardy as new fighting reported |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ukraines-cease-fire-in-jeopardy-as-new-fighting-reported/2014/09/07/cad0ca80-3689-11e4-8601-97ba88884ffd_story.html |access-date=7 September 2014}}</ref> DPR and LPR leaders said that they retained their desire for full independence from Ukraine, despite these concessions. Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] and Ukrainian president Poroshenko discussed the ceasefire on 6 September.<ref name="BBC6SEPT34">{{Citation |last=Keane |first=Fergal |title=Ukraine ceasefire: Silence on the streets of Mariupol |date=6 September 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29095968 |work=BBC News |access-date=6 September 2014}}</ref> Both parties said that they were satisfied with the ceasefire, and that it was generally holding.
[[File:Luhansk International Airport, September 4, 2014.jpg|thumb|left|A destroyed terminal at Luhansk airport, 4 September 2014]]
The ceasefire was broken multiple times on the night of 6–7 September, and into the day on 7 September.<ref name="ceasefire broken Guardian">{{Cite news |date=7 September 2014 |title=Ukraine and separatists blame each other after ceasefire broken |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/07/ukraine-rebels-ceasefire-broken-shelling |access-date=7 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="ceasefire broken WN">{{Cite web |date=7 September 2014 |title=Ukraine and separatists blame each other after ceasefire broken |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/07/ukraine-rebels-ceasefire-broken-shelling |access-date=13 April 2019 |website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name="BBC7SEPT2014">{{Cite news |date=7 September 2014 |title=Ukraine truce shaken by new shelling |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29098808 |access-date=7 September 2014}}</ref> These violations resulted in the deaths of four Ukrainian soldiers, whilst 29 were injured.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-casualties-idUSKBN0H40G920140909 Four Ukraine servicemen killed, 29 injured so far during ceasefire: Interfax], 9 September 2014</ref> Heavy shelling by the insurgents was reported on the eastern outskirts of Mariupol, and OSCE monitors said that the Ukrainian government had fired rockets from [[Donetsk International Airport]]. The OSCE said that these breaches of the agreement would not cause the ceasefire to collapse.<ref name="BBC7SEPT2014" /> Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]] said on 10 September that "70% of Russian troops have been moved back across the border", and also added that this action gave him "hope that the [[Minsk Agreement (2014)|peace initiatives]] have good prospects".<ref name="GD11sept">{{Cite news |date=10 September 2014 |title=Ukraine says most Russian troops have moved back across border |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/10/ukraine-russia-troops-border-east-poroshenko |access-date=11 September 2014}}</ref>
Ceasefire violations continued, however. In line with the Minsk Protocol, OSCE monitors said that they observed a [[prisoner exchange]] near [[Avdiivka]] at 03:40 on 12 September.<ref name="OSCE12SEPT">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 12 September 2014: Simultaneous Release of Hostages/Prisoners |date=12 September 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/123509 |access-date=12 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="CBC12SEPT">{{Cite news |date=12 September 2014 |title=Ukraine sanctions could be rolled back if Russia withdraws, U.S. says |publisher=CBC News |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-sanctions-could-be-rolled-back-if-russia-withdraws-u-s-says-1.2764118 |access-date=12 September 2014}}</ref> Ukrainian forces released 31 DPR insurgents, whilst DPR forces released 37 Ukrainian soldiers. OSCE monitors documented violations of the Minsk Protocol in numerous areas of Donetsk Oblast from 13 to 15 September.<ref name="OSCE15SEPT">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 15 September 2014: Monitoring to the east of Donetsk, SMM patrol vehicles hit by fire |date=15 September 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/123587 |access-date=15 September 2014}}</ref> These areas included [[Makiivka]], Telmanove, [[Debaltseve]], [[Petrovske]], near [[Mariupol]], [[Yasynuvata]], and [[Donetsk International Airport]], all of which saw intense fighting. Two of the armoured vehicles that the monitors were travelling in were struck by shrapnel, rendering one of the vehicles inoperable and forcing the monitors to retreat.<ref name="OSCE15SEPT" />
According to the monitors, troop and equipment movements were being carried out by both DPR and Ukrainian forces. They also said that there were "command and control issues" amongst both parties to the conflict.<ref name="OSCE15SEPT" /> A visit by the monitors to [[Luhansk International Airport]] took place on 20 September.<ref name="OSCE22SEPT">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 21 September 2014 |date=22 September 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/123921 |access-date=23 September 2014}}</ref> They said that the airport was "completely destroyed", and entirely unusable. Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]] said on 21 September that the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost between 60% and 65% of its total active equipment over the course of the war.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 September 2014 |script-title=ru:На передовой уничтожили 60–65% военной техники в частях – П.Порошенко |language=ru |work=Ukrainian National News |url=http://www.unn.com.ua/ru/news/1387749-na-peredoviy-bulo-znischeno-60-65-viyskovoyi-tekhniki-v-chastinakh-p-poroshenko |access-date=21 September 2014}}</ref>
[[File:2014. Кузнечный фестиваль в Донецке 370.jpg|thumb|A DPR policemen in Donetsk, 20 September 2014]]
Members of the [[Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine|Trilateral Contact Group]] and the DPR took part in a video conference on 25 September 2014.<ref name="OSCE26SEPT">{{Cite press release |title=Press Statement by the Trilateral Contact Group |date=26 September 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/home/124451 |access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref> According to a statement released by the OSCE on the day after the conference, all parties agreed that the fighting had "subsided in recent days", and that the "situation along 70%" of the buffer zone was "calm". They also said that they would "spare no efforts" to strengthen the ceasefire.<ref name="OSCE26SEPT" /> Scattered violations of the ceasefire continued, nonetheless. In the most significant incident since the start of the ceasefire, seven Ukrainian soldiers died on 29 September when a tank shell struck the armoured personnel carrier that they were travelling in near Donetsk International Airport.<ref name="BBC29SEPT">{{Cite news |date=29 September 2014 |title='Seven Ukraine troops die' in deadliest post-truce attack |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29415162 |access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref> A skirmish ensued, leaving many soldiers wounded. Over the next few days, [[Second Battle of Donetsk Airport|fighting continued]] around Donetsk International Airport, whilst Donetsk city itself came under heavy shelling.<ref name="OSCE2OCT">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 1 October 2014 |date=2 October 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/124979 |access-date=3 October 2014}}</ref><ref name="OSCE3OCT">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 2 October 2014 |date=3 October 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/125107 |access-date=3 October 2014}}</ref> Amidst this renewed violence, OSCE chairman [[Didier Burkhalter]] issued a statement that "urged all sides to immediately stop fighting", and also said that putting the ceasefire at risk of collapse would be "irresponsible and deplorable".<ref name="OSCE2OCTst">{{Cite press release |title=Truce too important for stabilization to be carelessly put at risk, Swiss OSCE Chair says after new outbreak of violence |date=2 October 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/cio/125003 |access-date=3 October 2014}}</ref>
According to a report released by the UN [[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]] (OHCHR) on 8 October, the ceasefire implemented by the Minsk Protocol was becoming "increasingly fragile".<ref name="OHCHR9OCT2014">{{Cite press release |title=Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine |date=16 September 2014 |publisher=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |url=http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/OHCHR_sixth_report_on_Ukraine.pdf |access-date=9 October 2014}}</ref> The statement that announced the release of the report said that at least 331 people had been killed since the start of ceasefire, and that the most fierce fighting took place around [[Donetsk International Airport]], [[Debaltseve]], and [[Shchastia]].<ref name="UN8OCT">{{Cite press release |title=Protracted conflict in eastern Ukraine continues to take heavy toll on civilians |date=8 October 2014 |publisher=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15143&LangID=E |access-date=9 October 2014}}</ref> The report also said that the majority of civilian deaths were caused by both insurgent and Ukrainian shelling.<ref name="NYT8OCT">{{Cite news |last=Cumming-Bruce |first=Nick |date=8 October 2014 |title=331 Have Died Since Ukraine Signed Truce, U.N. Reports |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/world/europe/at-least-331-have-been-killed-in-ukraine-since-start-of-cease-fire-un-reports.html |access-date=9 October 2014}}</ref> Several hundred [[National Guard of Ukraine|National Guard]] troops protested outside the Ukrainian [[Presidential Administration Building (Kyiv)|presidential administration building]] in Kyiv on 13 October.<ref name="KP14OCT2014">{{Cite news |date=14 October 2014 |title=Politicians, activists slam National Guard protest as unpatriotic |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/politicians-activists-slam-national-guard-protest-as-unpatriotic-367935.html |access-date=16 October 2014}}</ref> They demanded the end of conscription, and their own demobilisation.<ref name="KP14OCT2014" /> According to ''[[Kyiv Post]]'', many of the protesters stated that they had clashed with [[Euromaidan]] protesters, and that they were not in favour of that movement.<ref name="KP14OCT2014" />
=== November 2014 separatist elections and aftermath ===
{{Main|2014 Donbas general elections}}
[[File:Donetsk suburb after shelling.jpg|thumb|Donetsk suburb after shelling, 7 November 2014]]
Heavy fighting continued across the Donbas through October, despite the ceasefire. In violation of the procedure agreed to as part of the [[Minsk Protocol]], DPR and LPR authorities [[2014 Donbas general elections|held parliamentary and executive elections]] on 2 November.<ref name="OSCE31OCT">{{Cite press release |title=So-called elections not in line with Minsk Protocol, says OSCE Chair, calling for enhanced efforts and dialogue to implement all commitments |date=31 October 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/cio/126242 |access-date=1 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="NYT2NOV">{{Cite news |last=Kramer |first=Andrew E. |date=2 November 2014 |title=Rebel-Backed Elections to Cement Status Quo in Ukraine |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/03/world/europe/rebel-backed-elections-in-eastern-ukraine.html |access-date=3 November 2014}}</ref> In response to the elections, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko asked parliament to revoke the "special status" that was granted to DPR and LPR-controlled areas as part of the Minsk Protocol.<ref name="KP4NOV2014">{{Cite news |date=4 November 2014 |title=Poroshenko calls on lawmakers to revoke special status for east, sends more troops to key cities |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/poroshenko-calls-on-lawmakers-to-revoke-special-status-for-east-sends-more-troops-to-key-cities-370640.html |access-date=6 November 2014}}</ref> DPR deputy prime minister [[Andrei Purgin]] said that Ukrainian forces had launched "all-out war" against the DPR and LPR on 6 November.<ref name="RE6NOV2014">{{Cite news |date=6 November 2014 |title=Ukrainian forces deny launching fresh offensive in east |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-military-idUSKBN0IQ1RJ20141106 |access-date=6 November 2014}}</ref>
Ukrainian officials denied any offensive and said that they would adhere to the Minsk Protocol. Despite this, battles continued across the Donbas, leaving many soldiers dead. Concurrently, separatist representatives requested a redraughting of the Minsk Protocol, as a result of recurrent violations.<ref name="RE6NOV2014" /> Intermittent shelling of Donetsk renewed on 5 November.<ref name="BBC9NOV">{{Cite news |date=9 November 2014 |title=Heavy bombardment in rebel-held Donetsk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29975341 |access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref> OSCE monitors reported on 8 November that there were large movements of unmarked heavy equipment in separatist-held territory.<ref name="OSCE8NOV">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 8 November 2014 |date=8 November 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/126483 |access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref>
These movements included armoured personnel carriers, lorries, petrol tankers, and tanks, which were being manned and escorted by men in dark green uniforms without insignias.<ref name="OSCE8NOV" /> Ukrainian government spokesmen said that these were movements of Russian troops, but this could not be independently verified.<ref name="GD7NOV">{{Cite news |date=7 November 2014 |title=Ukraine says Russian military column has entered east of country |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/07/ukraine-russian-military-column-east |access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref> Overnight into 9 November, intense shelling from both government and insurgent positions rocked Donetsk.<ref name="BBC9NOV" /> OSCE chairman [[Didier Burkhalter]] said that he was "very concerned" about the "resurgence of violence", and stressed the importance of adhering to the [[Minsk Protocol]].<ref name="OSCE9NOV">{{Cite press release |title=Concerned about latest SMM reports of activities undermining Minsk commitments, OSCE Chair calls on all sides to preserve and consolidate ceasefire |date=8 November 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/cio/126484 |access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref> OSCE monitors observed more munitions convoys in separatist-held territory on 9 November.<ref name="OSCE9NOVE">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 9 November 2014 |date=9 November 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/126485 |access-date=10 November 2014}}</ref> These included 17 unmarked green [[ZiL]] lorries loaded with ammunition at [[Sverdlovsk, Ukraine|Sverdlovsk]], and 17 similar [[Kamaz]] lorries towing howitzers at [[Zuhres]]. Another convoy of 43 green military lories, some towing howitzers and rocket launchers, was observed by OSCE monitors in Donetsk on 11 November.<ref name="OSCE11NOV">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 11 November 2014 |date=11 November 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/126556 |access-date=11 November 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Damaged building in Kurakhove, Donetsk region.jpg|thumb|left|Damaged building in [[Kurakhove]], 26 November 2014]]
Following the reports of these troop and equipment movements, NATO [[Philip Breedlove|General Philip Breedlove]] said on 12 November that he could confirm that Russian troops and heavy equipment had crossed into Ukraine during the preceding week.<ref name="BBC12NOV">{{Cite news |date=12 November 2014 |title=Russian troops crossed border, Nato says |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30025138 |access-date=12 November 2014}}</ref> In response, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said that it was preparing for a renewed offensive by pro-Russian forces.<ref name="REU12NOV">{{Cite news |date=12 November 2014 |title=Ukraine redeploys troops, fearing new rebel offensive |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-military-idUSKCN0IW16T20141112 |access-date=12 November 2014}}</ref> Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Major General [[Igor Konashenkov]] said "there was and is no evidence" to support NATO's statement.<ref name="BBC12NOV" />
By 2 December, at least 1,000 people had died during fighting in Donbas, since the signing of the Minsk Protocol in early September.<ref name="2DECBBC">{{Cite news |date=2 December 2014 |title=Ukraine, Russia and the ceasefire that never was |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30290310 |access-date=2 December 2014}}</ref> A BBC report said that the ceasefire had been "a fiction". In light of this continued fighting, Ukrainian and separatist forces agreed to cease all military operations for a "Day of Silence" on 9 December.<ref name="BBC9DEC">{{Cite news |date=9 December 2014 |title=Shaky ceasefire holds as talks expected |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30384665 |access-date=9 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="NYT10DEC">{{Cite news |last=Kramer |first=Andrew E. |date=10 December 2014 |title=Ukrainian Military and Rebels Observe 'Silent Day' |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/world/europe/ukrainian-military-and-separatists-observe-silent-day.html |access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref> Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said that he hoped that the "Day of Silence" would encourage the signing of a new peace deal. Whilst no new peace talks took place following the "Day of Silence", fighting between Ukrainian and separatist forces lessened significantly over the course of December.<ref name="REU19dec">{{Cite news |date=19 December 2014 |title=Rebels say new Ukraine peace talks will not take place on Sunday: IFX |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-military-idUSKBN0JX11B20141219 |access-date=20 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="17DECGD">{{Cite news |date=17 December 2014 |title=Ukraine ceasefire leaves frontline counting cost of war in uneasy calm |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/17/ukraine-ceasefire-frontline-counting-cost-war-uneasy-calm |access-date=20 December 2014}}</ref> A report by the [[International Crisis Group]] stated that the late 2014 [[2014 Russian financial crisis|financial crisis in Russia]], in tandem with American and European [[International sanctions during the 2013–15 Ukrainian Crisis|economic sanctions]], deterred further advances by pro-Russian forces.<ref name="EUADW">{{Cite web |date=18 December 2014 |title=Eastern Ukraine: A Dangerous Winter |url=http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/ukraine/235-eastern-ukraine-a-dangerous-winter.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220075521/http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/ukraine/235-eastern-ukraine-a-dangerous-winter.pdf |archive-date=20 December 2014 |access-date=20 December 2014 |publisher=International Crisis Group}}</ref> The report also raised concerns about the potential for "humanitarian catastrophe" in separatist-controlled Donbas during the cold winter months, saying that the separatists were unable "to provide basic services for the population".
[[File:Ruins of Donetsk International airport (16).jpg|thumb|Ruins of Donetsk International Airport, December 2014. The control tower has since been completely destroyed.]]
In line with the [[Minsk Protocol]], more prisoner exchanges took place during the week of 21–27 December.<ref name="BBC26DEC">{{Cite news |date=26 December 2014 |title=Ukraine and rebels trade prisoners in Donetsk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30606486 |access-date=29 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="REU26DEC">{{Cite news |date=26 December 2014 |title=Kiev, rebels exchange POWs; trains, buses to Crimea suspended |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-prisoners-idUSKBN0K40IZ20141226 |access-date=29 December 2014}}</ref> More OSCE-organised talks were held in [[Minsk]] during that week, but they reached no result. In a press conference on 29 December, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that the Minsk Protocol was becoming effective "point by point", and also said that "progress" was being made.<ref name="KP29DEC">{{Cite news |date=29 December 2014 |title=Poroshenko: Despite Minsk agreements, martial law is still an option |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/poroshenko-despite-minsk-agreements-martial-law-is-still-an-option-376395.html |access-date=29 December 2014}}</ref> Since the signing of the Protocol, over 1,500 people held by the separatists had been released as part of the prisoner exchanges. Whereas Ukrainian forces had been losing about 100 men per day prior to the Protocol, only about 200 had been killed in the four months since its signing. Poroshenko also said that he believed that conflict would only end if Russian troops were to leave Donbas.<ref name="KP29DEC" />
=== Escalation in January 2015 ===
{{See also|Volnovakha bus attack|Second Battle of Donetsk Airport|Battle of Debaltseve|January 2015 Mariupol attack}}
OSCE monitors reported a "rise in tensions" following New Year's Day.<ref name="OSCE5JAN">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time) |date=5 January 2015 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/133421 |access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref> Numerous ceasefire violations were recorded, with most occurring near [[Donetsk International Airport]]. Infighting amongst insurgent groups broke out in Luhansk Oblast.<ref name="NYT5JAN2015">{{Cite news |last=Kramer |first=Andrew E. |date=5 January 2015 |title=French Leader Urges End to Sanctions Against Russia Over Ukraine |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/06/world/europe/francois-hollande-says-destabilizing-sanctions-on-russia-must-stop-now.html |access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref> In one incident, LPR militants said that they had killed [[Alexander Bednov]], the leader of the pro-Russian "Batman Battalion", on 2 January 2015. LPR officials said that Bednov had been running an "illegal prison", and that he had engaged in torturing prisoners.<ref name="KP3JAN">{{Cite news |date=3 January 2015 |title=Abuse, torture revealed at separatists' prison in Luhansk |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/abuse-torture-revealed-at-self-proclaimed-luhansk-peoples-republic-illegal-prison-376631.html |access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref> In another incident, the leader of an [[Antratsyt]]-based [[Don Cossack]] militant group, Nikolai Kozitsyn, said that the territory controlled by his group, claimed by the Luhansk People's Republic, had become part of the "Russian empire", and that Russian president Vladimir Putin was its "emperor".<ref name="NYT5JAN2015" /> An intercity bus stopped at a government checkpoint in Buhas [[Volnovakha bus attack|was hit]] by a [[Grad rocket]] on 13 January, killing 12 civilians.<ref name="OSCE14JAN">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, 14 January 2015: 12 civilians killed and 17 wounded when a rocket exploded close to a civilian bus near Volnovakha |date=14 January 2015 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/134636 |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="bbc13JAN">{{Cite news |date=13 January 2015 |title=Shell hits bus 'killing 10' in Buhas |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30798426 |access-date=13 January 2015}}</ref> Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko declared a day of national mourning.<ref name="UT15JAN">{{Cite news |date=15 January 2015 |title=OSCE confirms Grad strike on east Ukraine bus and says insurgents will be included in investigation |work=Ukraine Today |url=http://uatoday.tv/politics/osce-confirms-grad-strike-on-east-ukraine-bus-and-says-insurgents-will-be-included-in-investigation-402988.html |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref> Buhas is {{convert|35|km|mi}} south-west of Donetsk city.
[[File:2014-12-25. Открытие новогодней ёлки в Донецке 13.JPG|thumb|DPR [[Sparta Battalion]] commander [[Arsen Pavlov|Arseny Pavlov]], Donetsk, 25 December 2014]]
The new terminal building at [[Donetsk International Airport]], which had been a site of fighting between Ukrainian and separatist troops since May 2014, was captured by the DPR forces on 15 January.<ref name="15JANGUARD">{{Cite news |date=15 January 2015 |title=Russia-backed separatists seize Donetsk airport in Ukraine |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/15/russian-backed-separatists-seize-donetsk-airport-ukraine |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref> In the days prior to the capturing, the airport was heavily barraged by separatist rocket fire.<ref name="NY13JAN">{{Cite news |last=Roth |first=Andrew |date=13 January 2015 |title=10 Are Killed in Ukraine as Diplomacy Hits a Wall |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/world/europe/10-civilians-are-killed-in-ukraine-as-cease-fire-grows-more-fragile.html |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="NYT14JAN">{{Cite news |date=14 January 2015 |title=Lack of Aid Deepens Suffering in Conflict-Hit East Ukraine |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/14/world/europe/ap-eu-ukraine-aid-crunch.html |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref> DPR leader [[Alexander Zakharchenko]] stated that the capture of the airport was the first step toward regaining territory lost to Ukrainian forces during the middle of 2014. He said "Let our countrymen hear this: We will not just give up our land. We will either take it back peacefully, or like that", referring to the capture of the airport.<ref name="15JANGUARD" />
Such an offensive by separatist forces would signal the complete breakdown of the frequently ignored [[Minsk Protocol]], which established a buffer zone between Ukrainian-controlled and separatist-controlled territories.<ref name="REU21JAN22">{{Cite news |date=21 January 2015 |title=Ukraine accuses separatists of abusing Minsk deal with land grab |work=Reuters |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-klimkin-idINKBN0KT1VD20150120 |access-date=22 January 2015}}</ref> Ukrainian forces said that there had been "no order to retreat" from the airport, and DPR parliament chairman [[Andrey Purgin]] said that while DPR forces had gained control of the terminal buildings, fighting was ongoing because "the Ukrainians have lots of places to hide".<ref name="IND15JAN">{{Cite news |last=Carroll |first=Oliver |date=15 January 2015 |title=Residents flee savagery of the battle for Donetsk's airport |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-crisis-residents-flee-savagery-of-the-battle-for-donetsks-airport-9981531.html |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref> Concurrently, a new round of Minsk talks, scheduled for 16 January by the [[Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine]], was called off after DPR and LPR leaders [[Alexander Zakharchenko]] and [[Igor Plotnitsky]] refused to attend.<ref name="15JANIF">{{Cite news |date=15 January 2015 |title=No Contact Group meeting without Zakharchenko, Plotnytsky – Kuchma |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/244837.html |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref>
A government military operation at the weekend of 17–18 January resulted in Ukrainian forces recapturing most of Donetsk International Airport.<ref name="REU18JAN">{{Cite news |date=18 January 2015 |title=Ukrainian troops retake most of Donetsk airport from rebels |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-military-idUKKBN0KR0DD20150118 |access-date=18 January 2015}}</ref> According to [[National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine|Ukrainian NSDC]] representative Andriy Lysenko, the operation restored the lines of control established by the [[Minsk Protocol]], and therefore did not constitute a violation of it. The operation caused fighting to move toward Donetsk proper, resulting in heavy shelling of residential areas of the city that border the airport.<ref name="REU18JAN" /> DPR authorities said that they halted government forces at Putylivskiy bridge, which connects the airport and the city proper.<ref name="BBC19JAN">{{Cite news |date=19 January 2015 |title=Ukraine conflict: Battles rage in Donetsk and Luhansk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30878406 |access-date=19 January 2015}}</ref> The bridge, which is strategically important, was destroyed during the fighting. OSCE monitors reported that shelling had caused heavy damage in the Donetsk residential districts of [[Kyivskyi District, Donetsk|Kyivskyi]], [[Kirovskyi District, Donetsk|Kirovskyi]], [[Petrovsky District, Donetsk|Petrovskyi]], and [[Voroshylovskyi District, Donetsk|Voroshilovskyi]].<ref name="OSCE20JAN">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 19 January 2015 |date=20 January 2015 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/135491 |access-date=20 January 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Battle for Donetsk airport, 16 January 2015.jpg|thumb|left|250px|DPR Somalia Battalion in the new terminal building of Donetsk Airport on 16 January 2015]]
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on 21 January that Russia had deployed more than 9,000 soldiers and 500 tanks, artillery units, and armoured personnel carriers in Donbas.<ref name="BBC15JAn">{{Cite news |date=21 January 2015 |title=Ukraine conflict: US accuses rebels of 'land grab' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30928107 |access-date=21 January 2015}}</ref> An article that appeared in ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' said that deployment appeared to be "a response to Kyiv's success" in retaining control of Donetsk International Airport.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Blair |first=David |date=21 January 2015 |title=Russia sends 9,000 troops into Ukraine, says Petro Poroshenko |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11361286/Russia-sends-9000-troops-into-Ukraine-says-Petro-Poroshenko.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11361286/Russia-sends-9000-troops-into-Ukraine-says-Petro-Poroshenko.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=21 January 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On the same day, Ukrainian forces attempted to surround the airport in an attempt to push back the insurgents.<ref name="KP22JAN">{{Cite news |date=22 January 2015 |title=Donetsk Airport overrun by rebels, say army volunteers |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/donetsk-airport-overrun-by-rebels-say-army-volunteers-378037.html |access-date=4 June 2015}}</ref> As Ukrainian and DPR forces fought away from the airport, a group of insurgents stormed the first and third floors of the new terminal building. Ukrainian troops held out on the second floor of the building until the ceiling collapsed, killing several soldiers.<ref name="KP22JAN" /> The remaining Ukrainian forces were either captured, killed, or were forced to withdraw from the airport, allowing DPR forces to overrun it. According to one volunteer, 37 Ukrainian troops died.<ref name="KP22JAN" /> ''The Daily Telegraph'' called the Ukrainian defeat at the airport "devastating".<ref name="DT22JAN">{{Cite news |last=Oliphant |first=Roland |date=22 January 2015 |title=Pro-Russia separatists vow further advances into Ukraine after taking Donetsk airport |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11363929/Pro-Russia-separatists-vow-further-advances-into-Ukraine-after-taking-Donetsk-airport.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11363929/Pro-Russia-separatists-vow-further-advances-into-Ukraine-after-taking-Donetsk-airport.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=23 January 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
[[File:Ded Moroz visits children in Donetsk bomb shelter, 6 January 2015 (4).jpg|thumb|Donetsk civilians living in bomb shelter, January 2015]]
Following this victory, separatist forces began to attack Ukrainian forces along the line of control in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.<ref name="REU22JAN">{{Cite news |date=22 January 2015 |title=Ukraine's forces hold line against Russian troops, rebels – Poroshenko |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-casualties-idUKKBN0KV0LQ20150122 |access-date=23 January 2015}}</ref> Particularly heavy fighting broke out along the [[Siverskyi Donets River]], to the north-west of [[Luhansk]] city. Separatist forces captured a Ukrainian checkpoint at Krymske, attacked other checkpoints in the area, and shelled villages near [[Shchastia]].<ref name="KP2332">{{Cite news |date=22 January 2015 |title=Fighting under way on Bakhmutka road in Luhansk Oblast |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/fighting-under-way-on-bakhmutka-road-in-luhansk-oblast-378083.html |access-date=23 January 2015}}</ref> Separatist forces also began [[Battle of Debaltseve|an assault]] on the government-controlled town of [[Debaltseve]] in north-eastern [[Donetsk Oblast]], barraging it with artillery fire.<ref name="FRDElDEL">{{Cite news |date=23 January 2015 |title=The fight to defend Ukraine's strategic Debaltseve |publisher=France 24 |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20150123-video-ukraine-military-defend-strategic-eastern-town-debaltseve-pro-russia-separatists/ |url-status=dead |access-date=25 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150124123633/http://www.france24.com/en/20150123-video-ukraine-military-defend-strategic-eastern-town-debaltseve-pro-russia-separatists/ |archive-date=24 January 2015}}</ref> In addition, the DPR launched [[January 2015 Mariupol attack|an attack]] on Mariupol from [[Shyrokyne]] during the morning of 24 January. A hail of Grad rockets killed at least 30 people, and wounded another 83.<ref name="REU24j">{{Cite news |date=24 January 2015 |title=Rebels say launched attack on Mariupol as 20 killed in east Ukraine city |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-casualties-idUSKBN0KX08B20150124 |access-date=24 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="OSCE24JAN">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 24 January 2015: Shelling Incident on Olimpiiska Street in Mariupol |date=24 January 2015 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/136061 |access-date=24 January 2015}}</ref> Heavy fighting [[Battle of Debaltseve#Closing the "kettle"|continued in Debaltseve]] over the next week, resulting in many civilian and combatant casualties.<ref name="AP321">{{Cite news |last=Peter Leonard |date=31 January 2015 |title=Civilians flee east Ukraine town as fighting intensifies |agency=Associated Press |url=http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2015-01-31-EU--Ukraine/id-21c944f206034ca882fc9af9090c9ec7 |access-date=31 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202012237/http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2015-01-31-EU--Ukraine/id-21c944f206034ca882fc9af9090c9ec7 |archive-date=2 February 2015}}</ref>
French president [[François Hollande]] and German chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] put forth a new peace plan on 7 February. The Franco-German plan, drawn up after talks with Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko and Russian president Vladimir Putin, was seen as a revival of the [[Minsk Protocol]]. President Hollande said that the plan was the "last chance" for resolution of the conflict.<ref name="7FEB2052">{{Cite news |date=7 February 2015 |title=Ukraine crisis: 'Last chance' for peace says Hollande |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31185027 |access-date=7 February 2015}}</ref><ref name="wew223">{{Cite news |last=Doroshev |first=Anton |date=7 February 2015 |title=Putin Rejects Attempts to Contain Russia After Peace Talks Fail |work=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-07/putin-rejects-attempts-to-contain-russia-after-peace-talks-fail |access-date=7 February 2015}}</ref> The plan was put forth in response to American proposals to send armaments to the Ukrainian government, something that Chancellor Merkel said would only result in a worsening of the crisis.<ref name="7FEB2052" /><ref name="7FEBNYT">{{Cite news |last1=Gordon |first1=Michael R. |last2=Smale |first2=Alison |last3=Erlanger |first3=Steven |date=7 February 2015 |title=Western Nations Split on Arming Kiev |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/world/europe/divisions-on-display-over-western-response-to-ukraine-at-security-conference.html |access-date=7 February 2015}}</ref>
Fighting worsened in the run-up to the scheduled 11 February talks to discuss the Franco-German peace plan. DPR forces shelled the city of [[Kramatorsk]] on 10 February, which had last seen fighting in July 2014. The shelling targeted the city's Armed Forces headquarters, but also hit a nearby residential area. Seven people were killed, while 26 were wounded.<ref name="BBC10FEB">{{Cite news |date=10 February 2015 |title=Ukraine conflict: Battles rage ahead of Minsk talks |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31357588 |access-date=10 February 2015}}</ref> In addition, the pro-government [[Azov Battalion]] launched [[Shyrokyne standoff (February–July 2015)|an offensive]] to recapture separatist-controlled areas on the outskirts of Mariupol, centred on the village of Shyrokyne. Battalion commander [[Andriy Biletsky (politician)|Andriy Biletsky]] said his forces were moving toward [[Novoazovsk]].<ref name="BBC10FEB" />
In October 2015 a member of the monitoring mission Maksim Udovichenko, delegated to OSCE by Russia, was suspended for "misbehavior" involving alcohol while in Severodonetsk and admitted he is actually a GRU officer.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Quinn |first=Allison |date=30 October 2015 |title=Russian OSCE monitor in Ukraine fired after 'drunkenly saying he was a Moscow spy' |journal=The Daily Telegraph |language=en-GB |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11965191/Russian-OSCE-monitor-in-Ukraine-fired-after-drunkenly-saying-he-was-a-Moscow-spy.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11965191/Russian-OSCE-monitor-in-Ukraine-fired-after-drunkenly-saying-he-was-a-Moscow-spy.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=13 May 2020 |issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
=== Minsk II ceasefire and denouement ===
[[File:OSCE SMM monitoring the movement of heavy weaponry in eastern Ukraine (16544235410).jpg|Withdrawal of Ukrainian heavy weaponry, March 2015|alt=|thumb]]
{{Main|Minsk II}}
{{See also|OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine}}
The scheduled summit at [[Minsk]] on 11 February 2015 resulted in the signing of a new package of peacemaking measures, called [[Minsk II]], on 12 February.<ref name="BBC12FEB">{{Cite news |date=12 February 2015 |title=Ukraine crisis: Leaders agree peace roadmap |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31435812 |access-date=12 February 2015}}</ref> The plan, similar in content to the failed [[Minsk Protocol]], called for an unconditional ceasefire, to begin on 15 February, amongst many other measures.<ref name="BBC12FEB" /><ref name="FR2243566">{{Cite web |date=12 February 2015 |title=Ukraine's warring parties agree to February 15 ceasefire |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20150212-deal-ceasefire-agreed-ukraine-crisis-minsk-putin-hollande/ |access-date=12 February 2015 |publisher=France 24}}</ref> Despite the signing of Minsk II, fighting [[Battle of Debaltseve|continued around Debaltseve]].<ref name="BBC18FEBY">{{Cite news |date=18 February 2015 |title=Ukraine troops retreat from key town of Debaltseve |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31519000 |access-date=20 February 2015}}</ref> DPR forces said that ceasefire did not apply to Debaltseve, and continued their offensive. Ukrainian forces were forced to withdraw from the Debaltseve area on 18 February, leaving separatist forces in control of it.<ref name="GD18FEBY">{{Cite news |date=18 February 2015 |title=Ukrainian soldiers share horrors of Debaltseve battle after stinging defeat |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/18/ukrainian-soldiers-share-horrors-of-debaltseve-battle-after-stinging-defeat |access-date=20 February 2015}}</ref> In the week after the fall of Debaltseve to pro-Russian forces, fighting in the conflict zone abated.<ref name="REU26FEBY">{{Cite news |date=26 February 2015 |title=Ukraine begins artillery withdrawal, recognising truce is holding |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-idUKKBN0LU1E720150226 |access-date=26 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226201619/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/uk-ukraine-crisis-idUKKBN0LU1E720150226 |archive-date=26 February 2015}}</ref> DPR and LPR forces began to withdraw artillery from the front lines as specified by Minsk II on 24 February, and Ukraine did so on 26 February. Ukraine reported that it had suffered no casualties during 24–26 February, something that had not occurred since early January 2015.<ref name="REU26FEBY" /><ref name="UT26FEBY">{{Cite news |date=26 February 2015 |title=Ukraine Heavy Arms Withdrawal: Situation in country's east stabilizes, says military spokesperson |work=Ukraine Today |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY0sMKuEXN0 |access-date=26 February 2015}}</ref>
Minor skirmishes continued into March, but the ceasefire was largely observed across the combat zone. Ukrainian and separatist forces had withdrawn most of the heavy weaponry specified in Minsk II by 10 March.<ref name="BBC10MARCH">{{Cite news |date=10 March 2015 |title=Poroshenko confirms rebel weapons moved |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31806946 |access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref> Minor violations of the ceasefire continued throughout March and into April, though it continued to hold, and the numbers of casualties reported by both sides were greatly reduced.<ref name="UKD246">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2015 |title=The Ukraine Crisis: Risks of Renewed Military Conflict after Minsk II |url=http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/ukraine/b073-the-ukraine-crisis-risks-of-renewed-military-conflict-after-minsk-ii.ashx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403051230/http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/ukraine/b073-the-ukraine-crisis-risks-of-renewed-military-conflict-after-minsk-ii.ashx |archive-date=3 April 2015 |access-date=8 April 2015 |website=Crisis Group Europe Briefing N°73 |publisher=International Crisis Group |location=Kyiv |format=ASHX file |postscript=: To open the ASHX file, change file type extension from .ashx to .pdf.}}</ref><ref name="BBCpisk2">{{Cite news |date=20 March 2015 |title=Ukraine: On the frontline of the supposed ceasefire |work=BBC News |location=Pisky, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOmWjP1HIGQ |access-date=8 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="dke32">{{Cite news |date=9 April 2015 |title=Ukraine ceasefire talks set to resume |work=9news.co.au |agency=Agence France-Presse |url=http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/04/09/02/59/ukraine-ceasefire-talks-set-to-resume |access-date=8 April 2015}}</ref> Fighting flared up again on 3 June 2015, when [[Battle of Marinka|DPR insurgents launched an attack]] on government-controlled [[Marinka, Ukraine|Marinka]]. Artillery and tanks were utilised in the battle there, which was described as the heaviest fighting since the signing of Minsk II.<ref name="BBC3JUNE2015">{{Cite news |date=3 June 2015 |title=Ukraine crisis: Heavy fighting rages near Donetsk, despite truce |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32988499 |access-date=3 June 2015}}</ref>
[[File:A Russia-backed rebel armored fighting vehicles convoy near Donetsk, Eastern Ukraine, May 30, 2015.jpg|left|thumb|DPR armoured vehicles near Donetsk, May 2015]]
An anti-war protest took place in Donetsk city on 15 June.<ref name="UN15JUNE">{{Cite news |date=15 June 2015 |title=About 500 people attend anti-war protest in centre of Donetsk |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |url=http://www.unian.info/politics/1089525 |url-status=dead |access-date=21 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716035134/http://www.unian.info/politics/1089525 |archive-date=16 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="OSCE16JU15">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 19:30 (Kyiv time), 15 June 2015 |date=16 June 2015 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/164746 |access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref> The protest, the first of its kind in pro-Russian separatist-controlled territory, called for an end to the fighting in Donbas. About 500 people, who had gathered outside the RSA building, shouted, "Stop the war!", "Give us back our houses, our homes are broken!", and "Get out of here!" Specifically, protesters demanded that the separatists cease firing rocket attacks from residential areas on the outskirts of Donetsk.<ref name="UN15JUNE" /><ref name="FB17JUN15">{{Cite news |date=17 June 2015 |title=Residents of Donbass Tell Separatists To Leave: A Glimmer Of Hope? |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulroderickgregory/2015/06/17/residents-of-donbass-tell-separatists-to-leave-a-glimmer-of-hope/ |access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref>
Whilst all parties to the conflict continued to support implementation of the measures specified by Minsk II, minor skirmishes continued on a daily basis through June and July 2015. Ukrainian troops suffered losses on a daily basis, and the ceasefire was labelled "unworkable" and "impossible to implement". Despite constant fighting and shelling along the line of contact, no territorial changes occurred.<ref name="AXJ23424">{{Cite news |date=14 July 2015 |title=Ukraine's forgotten ceasefire |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2015/07/ukraines-forgotten-ceasefire-150713075152583.html |access-date=26 July 2015}}</ref> This state of stalemate led the war to be labelled a "[[frozen conflict]]".<ref name="REU21JULY2015">{{Cite news |last=Tsvetkova |first=Maria |date=21 July 2015 |title=Ceasefire brings limited respite for east Ukrainians |work=Euronews |agency=Reuters |url=http://www.euronews.com/newswires/3041823-ceasefire-brings-limited-respite-for-east-ukrainians/ |url-status=dead |access-date=26 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725132924/http://www.euronews.com/newswires/3041823-ceasefire-brings-limited-respite-for-east-ukrainians/ |archive-date=25 July 2015}}</ref>
Following months of ceasefire violations, the [[Government of Ukraine|Ukrainian government]], the [[Donetsk People's Republic|DPR]] and the [[Luhansk People's Republic|LPR]] jointly agreed to halt all fighting, starting on 1 September 2015. This agreement coincided with the start of the school year in Ukraine, and was intended to allow for another attempt at implementing the points of [[Minsk II]].<ref name="DW27AUG">{{Cite news |date=27 August 2015 |title=Ukraine and rebels to implement Minsk deal by September 1 |publisher=Deutsche Welle |url=http://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-and-rebels-to-implement-minsk-deal-by-september-1/a-18676610 |access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref> By 12 September, German Foreign Minister [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]] said that the ceasefire had been holding, and that the parties to the conflict were "very close" to reaching an agreement to withdraw heavy weaponry from the line of contact, as specified by Minsk II. The area around Mariupol, including [[Shyrokyne]], saw no fighting. According to Ukrainian Defence Minister [[Stepan Poltorak]], violence in the Donbas had reached its lowest level since the start of the war.<ref name="BBC13SEPT2015">{{Cite news |date=13 September 2015 |title=Ukraine ceasefire talks 'make significant progress' |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34236464 |access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref>
Whilst the ceasefire continued to hold into November, no final settlement to the conflict was agreed. ''The New York Times'' described this result as part of "a common arc of [[Post-Soviet conflicts|post-Soviet conflict]], visible in the Georgian enclaves of [[South Ossetia]] and [[Abkhazia]], [[Nagorno-Karabakh]] in Azerbaijan and in [[Transnistria]]", and said that separatist-controlled areas had become a "frozen zone", where people "live in ruins, amid a ruined ideology, in the ruins of the old empire."<ref name="NYT10NOV">{{Cite news |last=Kramer |first=Andrew E. |date=10 November 2015 |title=A Bleak Future in Eastern Ukraine's Frozen Zone |work=The New York Times |location=Donetsk |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/11/world/europe/ukraine-frozen-zone-virtual-reality.html |access-date=12 November 2015}}</ref> This state of affairs continued into 2016, with a 15 April report by the BBC labelling the conflict as "Europe's forgotten war".<ref name="BBC15APR16">{{Cite news |last=Burridge |first=Tom |date=15 April 2016 |title=Ukraine conflict: Daily reality of east's 'frozen war' |publisher=BBC |location=Ukraine |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35990401 |access-date=15 April 2016}}</ref> Minor outbreaks of fighting continued along the line of contact, though no major territorial changes occurred.<ref name="BBC15APR16" />
A new ceasefire came into effect on 1 September 2016, described at the time by BBC correspondent [[Tom Burridge]] as "the first time there has been a true halt to fighting in 11 months", and in 2018 described by TASS as the most successful ceasefire over the course of the conflict.<ref name="BBCnc1916">{{Cite news |date=1 September 2016 |title=Ukraine crisis: New ceasefire 'holding with eastern rebels' |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37243434 |access-date=9 September 2016}}</ref><ref name="tass.com/world/1027270"/> Within days both sides accused each other of breaching the ceasefire, although they also stated that the ceasefire was widely observed.<ref name="Xnc6916">{{Cite news |date=6 September 2016 |title=Fresh combat casualties reported in eastern Ukraine despite ceasefire |agency=[[Xinhua News Agency]] |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-09/06/c_135664492.htm |access-date=9 September 2016}}</ref> Nevertheless, on 6 September (2016), Ukrainian authorities reported the death of yet another soldier.<ref name="9916Ur">{{Cite news |date=9 September 2016 |title=One Ukrainian serviceman killed in Donbas in past 24 hours |agency=[[Interfax-Ukraine]] |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/369025.html |access-date=9 September 2016}}</ref> On 24 December 2016, the tenth indefinite ceasefire since the start of the conflict came into effect; according to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the Ukrainian government, and the separatists, the ceasefire was not observed.<ref name="10thcDd6117">[http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/12/24/ukraine-rebels-agree-new-indefinite-truce Ukraine rebels agree to new indefinite truce], [[SBS Australia]] (24 December 2016)<br />[http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/292676 Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 4 January 2017], [[OSCE]] (5 January 2017)<br />[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/395126.html Militants shell Ukrainian army positions 32 times in past 24 hours], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (6 January 2017)<br />[http://tass.com/world/923721 Kiev forces violate ceasefire three times over past 24 hours — news agency], [[TASS news agency]] (3 January 2017)</ref>
=== January 2017 eruption of heavy fighting and failed ceasefires ===
[[File:Передові_позиції_в_населеному_пункті_Піски.jpg|right|thumb|A view from a Ukrainian Armed Forces support point near [[Pisky, Yasynuvata Raion|Pisky]], January 2017]]
2016 was the first full calendar year of the conflict in which Ukraine lost no territories to pro-Russian forces.<ref name="HrWD169117" /> In addition, both the Ukrainian Armed Forces (211 combat losses and 256 non-combat losses) and the local populace (13 in Ukrainian government-controlled areas) suffered many fewer casualties than in 2015.<ref name="HrWD169117">[http://en.hromadske.ua/articles/show/2016_for_Donbas The Best of the Worst: What 2016 Was Like for Donbas], [[Hromadske TV|Hromadske International]] (9 January 2017)</ref> The new year, however, brought a new eruption of heavy fighting, starting on 29 January 2017, [[Battle of Avdiivka|centred on the Ukrainian-controlled city of Avdiivka]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Christopher |date=2 February 2017 |title=Fighting Flares in Avdiyivka: Epicenter of major escalation in Russia's war |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/avdiyivka-becomes-center-major-escalation-russias-war-least-10-killed.html |access-date=4 February 2017}}</ref>
On 18 February 2017, Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] signed a decree whereby the Russian authorities would recognise personal and vehicle-registration documents issued by the DPR and LPR.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dearden |first=Lizzie |date=18 February 2017 |title=Vladimir Putin issues executive order recognising separatist 'authorities' in Ukraine |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vladimir-putin-donald-trump-ukraine-war-crimea-rebels-separatists-executive-order-documents-donetsk-a7587666.html |access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref> The presidential decree referred to "permanent residents of certain areas of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts", without any mention of the self-proclaimed People's Republics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Указ о признании документов, выданных гражданам Украины и лицам без гражданства, проживающим на территориях отдельных районов Донецкой и Луганской областей Украины |url=http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/53895}}</ref> Ukrainian authorities decried the decree as being directly contradictory to the Minsk II agreement and that it "legally recognised the quasi-state terrorist groups which cover Russia's occupation of part of [[Donbas]]."<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39018429 Russia accepts passports issued by east Ukraine rebels], [[BBC News]] (19 February 2017)</ref> [[Secretary General]] of the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE) [[Lamberto Zannier]] stated on 19 February the decree "implies...recognition of those who issue the documents, of course" and that it would make it more difficult to hold a ceasefire.<ref>[http://www.rferl.org/a/osce-says-russian-move-undermines-ukraine-peace-efforts/28318525.html Interview: OSCE Says Russian Move Undermines Ukraine Peace Efforts], [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] (19 February 2017)</ref>
Russian foreign minister [[Sergey Lavrov]], after meeting with his Ukrainian, German and French counterparts in Munich on 18 February, said that a ceasefire between Ukraine and the separatists had been agreed effective from 20 February 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 February 2017 |title=Russia's Lavrov says Feb. 20 ceasefire in Ukraine has been agreed |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-lavrov/russias-lavrov-says-feb-20-ceasefire-in-ukraine-has-been-agreed-idUSKBN15X0LO |work=Reuters}}</ref> But according to a Ukrainian Armed Forces spokesman on 20 February 2017 separatists attacks continued, although he did state there was a "significant reduction in military activity."<ref name="11cfD20217">{{Cite news |last=Burridge |first=Tom |date=20 February 2017 |title=East Ukraine ceasefire due to take effect |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39023753 |access-date=29 December 2017}}<br />{{Cite news |date=20 February 2017 |title=ATO HQ: Truce disrupted, no conditions for withdrawal of arms |agency=[[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] |url=https://www.unian.info/war/1785936-ato-hq-truce-disrupted-no-conditions-for-withdrawal-of-arms.html |access-date=29 December 2017}}<br />{{Cite news |date=20 February 2017 |script-title=uk:У зоні АТО знизилася бойова активність – штаб |language=uk |trans-title=In the ATU zone, combat activity has decreased – headquarters |work=[[Ukrayinska Pravda]] |url=http://pda.pravda.com.ua/news/id_7135908/ |access-date=29 December 2017}}</ref> On 21 February OSCE's Secretary General Zannier stated there were still a significant number of violations of the cease-fire and "no evidence of the withdrawal of weapons".<ref name="rfe22217Znc">[http://www.rferl.org/a/monitor-osce-says-ukraine-cease-fire-heavy-weapons-withdrawal-not-honored/28324012.html Monitor Says Ukraine Cease-Fire, Weapons Withdrawal Not Being Honored], [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] (22 February 2017)</ref>
According to both parties to the conflict, the fourth truce attempt of 2017 collapsed within a few hours on 24 June 2017.<ref name="cf24J17id">[https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-says-two-soldiers-killed-despite-cease-fire/28577118.html Ukraine Says Two Soldiers Killed Despite Cease-Fire], [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] (24 June 2017)</ref> A "back to school ceasefire" to begin on 25 August 2017 also immediately collapsed when, on that very day, both combatants claimed that the other side had violated it.<ref name="btsc17">[https://medium.com/dfrlab/ukraines-back-to-school-ceasefire-b43906954ed6 Ukraine's Back to School "Ceasefire"], [[Atlantic Council]]'s Digital Forensic Research Lab (29 August 2017)<br />[http://tass.com/world/965974 Ukrainian military violate back-to-school ceasefire, one civilian injured – command], [[TASS news agency]] (16 September 2017)</ref> A further "Christmas ceasefire" that was to be upheld starting 00:00 ([[Eastern European Time]]) on 23 December 2017 was immediately broken by DPR and LPR forces according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (reporting nine violations including the death of a Ukrainian soldier killed by an enemy sniper and claiming the Ukrainians had not fired back<ref>{{Citation |title=Ukraine's Defense Ministry updates on number of attacks on Ukrainian troops on Dec 23 |date=24 December 2017 |url=https://www.unian.info/war/2315889-ukraines-defense-ministry-updates-on-number-of-attacks-on-ukrainian-troops-on-dec-23.html |access-date=24 December 2017 |agency=[[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]]}}<br />{{Citation |title=Ukrainian soldier killed by enemy sniper in Donbas on first day of 'Christmas truce' |date=24 December 2017 |url=https://www.unian.info/war/2315729-ukrainian-soldier-killed-by-enemy-sniper-in-donbas-on-first-day-of-christmas-truce.html |access-date=24 December 2017 |agency=[[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]]}}</ref>).<ref name="UNIAN2315389">{{Citation |title=Russian occupation troops violate 'Christmas ceasefire' – ATO HQ |date=23 December 2017 |url=https://www.unian.info/war/2315389-russian-occupation-troops-violate-christmas-ceasefire-ato-hq.html |access-date=24 December 2017 |agency=[[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]]}}</ref><ref name="TASS982709" /> In turn, the DPR stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had broken the truce, while the LPR ''Luganskinformcenter'' news agency said the same, but also that, the "ceasefire is generally observed."<ref name="TASS982709">{{Cite news |date=23 December 2017 |title=Donetsk republic reports violations of truce by Ukrainian army hours after its declaration |work=[[TASS news agency]] |url=http://tass.com/world/982699 |access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=23 December 2017 |title=Ukrainian units abiding by ceasefire at Lugansk section of frontline |work=[[TASS news agency]] |url=http://tass.com/world/982709 |access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref> On 27 December 2017, as part of the Minsk deal, a prisoner swap was conducted with 73 Ukrainian soldiers exchanged for over 200 separatists.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Andrew |date=27 December 2017 |title=Ukraine Fighting Pauses, Briefly, for Big Prisoner Exchange |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/27/world/europe/ukraine-prisoner-exchange.html |access-date=9 August 2019}}</ref>
On 18 January 2018, the Ukrainian parliament passed a bill to regain control over separatist-held areas. The bill was adopted with support from 280 lawmakers in the 450-seat Verkhovna Rada<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine Passes Bill To Restore Control Over Separatist-Held Areas |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian-parliament-passes-donbas-reintegration-bill/28982677.html |access-date=19 January 2018 |website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty}}</ref> (due to the war in Donbas and the [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|2014 Russian annexation]] of [[Crimea]], only 423 of the parliament's 450 seats were elected in the [[2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election|previous election]]<ref name="27sIU2510">[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/230595.html Parliamentary elections not to be held at nine constituencies in Donetsk region and six constituencies in Luhansk region – CEC], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (25 October 2014)</ref><ref name="BBCtsP25814">[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28931054 Ukraine crisis: President calls snap vote amid fighting], [[BBC News]] (25 August 2014)</ref><ref name="Runners and risks">{{Cite news |date=22 May 2014 |title=Ukraine elections: Runners and risks |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27518989 |url-status=dead |access-date=29 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527092109/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27518989 |archive-date=27 May 2014}}</ref>). The Russian government denounced the bill, calling it "preparations for a new war",<ref>{{Cite news |title=Russia hysterical about Ukraine's Donbas law, says Kyiv "preparing for new war" |language=en |url=https://www.unian.info/politics/2353903-mfa-russia-hysterical-about-ukraines-new-donbas-de-occupation-law-says-kyiv-preparing-for-new-war.html |access-date=19 January 2018}}</ref> and accused the Ukrainian government of violating the [[Minsk II|Minsk agreement]]. The law on the reintegration of Donbas labeled the republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as "[[Temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine|temporarily-occupied territories]]", while Russia was labeled as an "aggressor". The legislation granted President [[Petro Poroshenko|Poroshenko]] "the right to use military force inside the country, without consent from the Ukrainian parliament", which would include the reclaiming of Donbas. The bill supports a ban on trade and a transport blockade of the east that has been in place since 2017. Under the legislation, the only separatist-issued documents that Ukraine would recognize are birth and death certificates.
A new ceasefire agreed by all parties to the conflict went into force on 5 March 2018.<ref name="cfDonbasMarch18" /> By 9 March, the Ukrainian military claimed it was not being observed by the DPR and LPR forces, who in turn claimed the same of the Ukrainian military.<ref name="cfDonbasMarch18">{{Cite web |date=9 March 2018 |title="Ceasefire" in Donbas: 1 KIA, 1WIA amid two attacks on March 9 |url=https://www.unian.info/m/war/10036760-ceasefire-in-donbas-1-kia-1wia-amid-two-attacks-on-march-9.html |agency=[[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]]}}<br />{{Cite news |date=7 March 2018 |title=Ukrainian military observes ceasefire for 24 hours for first time in 2018 |publisher=[[TASS news agency]] |url=http://tass.com/world/993119}}</ref> On 26 March 2018, the [[Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine]] agreed on a "comprehensive, sustainable and unlimited ceasefire" that was to start on 30 March 2018.<ref name="cfDonbasMarch30">[https://www.unian.info/war/10062323-easter-ceasefire-in-donbas-fails-on-its-first-day-with-attacks-on-ukrainian-positions.html "Easter ceasefire" in Donbas fails on its first day with attacks on Ukrainian positions], [[UNIAN]] (30 March 2018)<br />{{in lang|ru}} [https://ria.ru/world/20180331/1517677417.html In the DNR, Kyiv was accused of disrupting the "Easter" truce], [[RIA Novosti]] (31 March 2018)<br /><br />{{in lang|ru}} [https://ria.ru/world/20180330/1517642447.html In LNR they have accused siloviki of infringement of "easter" truce], [[RIA Novosti]] (30 March 2018)</ref> It collapsed on its first day.<ref name="cfDonbasMarch30"/> Ukraine officially ended the "Anti-Terrorist Operation" ([[Timeline of the war in Donbas (April–June 2014)#ATO|ATO]]), and replaced it with "Joint Forces Operation" (JFO) on 30 April 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 March 2018 |title=Poroshenko: ATO over, Joint Forces Operation starting |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |url=https://www.unian.info/war/10045583-poroshenko-ato-over-joint-forces-operation-starting.html |access-date=3 May 2018}}</ref><ref name="censor1">{{Cite web |date=5 April 2018 |title=Poroshenko pledges anti-terrorist operation in Ukraine's east to end in May |url=https://en.censor.net.ua/news/3059787/poroshenko_pledges_antiterrorist_operation_in_ukraines_east_to_end_in_may |access-date=3 May 2018 |publisher=Censor.NET}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=30 April 2018 |title=Poroshenko states completion of ATO, launch of joint forces operation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions |agency=Interfax-Ukraine |url=https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/502349.html |access-date=3 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 April 2018 |title=Anti-Terrorist Operation in Donbas to end in May – Poroshenko {{!}} The operation will gain a military format under the leadership of General Serhiy Nayev |url=https://www.unian.info/politics/10070066-anti-terrorist-operation-in-donbas-to-end-in-may-poroshenko.html |access-date=3 May 2018 |publisher=[[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency|UNIAN]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 April 2018 |title=President signed a Decree: The Joint Forces Operation on deflection and deterrence of Russia's armed aggression in the Donbas began on April 30, 2018 |url=http://www.mil.gov.ua/en/news/2018/04/30/president-signed-a-decree-the-joint-forces-operation-on-deflection-and-deterrence-of-russias-armed-aggression-in-the-donbas-began-on-april-30-2018/ |access-date=3 May 2018 |publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (Ukraine)|MoD]]}}</ref><ref>[https://www.unian.info/m/war/10099772-joint-forces-operation-kicks-off-in-donbas.html Joint Forces Operation kicks off in Donbas], [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (30 April 2018)</ref> According to Lieutenant-General [[Serhiy Nayev]], the commander of the Joint Forces Operation, the renaming was intended to signify that Ukraine was not fighting against indigenous "terrorists" or "separatist militants" in Donbas, but against the Russian military.<ref name=eujfa2/> On the same day, the United States confirmed that it had delivered [[FGM-148 Javelin|Javelin]] anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Christopher |date=30 April 2018 |title=U.S. Confirms Delivery of Javelin Antitank Missiles To Ukraine |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/javelin-missile-delivery-ukraine-us-confirmed/29200588.html |access-date=3 May 2018}}</ref> According to the ''Washington Post'', the missiles will be kept away from the front line, and would be used only in the case of an all-out separatist assault.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/war-in-eastern-ukraine-now-seems-a-distant-storm-to-kiev/2018/06/26/5390e326-73ff-11e8-805c-4b67019fcfe4_story.html?noredirect=on&noredirect=on War in eastern Ukraine now seems a distant storm to Kiev], [[The Washington Post]] (26 June 2018)</ref>
On 28 June 2018, a new "harvest" "comprehensive and indefinite ceasefire regime" was agreed set to start on 1 July 2018.<ref name="IUDc28618">{{Cite news |date=27 June 2018 |title=TCG, ORDLO confirm their commitment to comprehensive, timeless ceasefire regime beginning from July 1 |agency=[[Interfax-Ukraine]] |url=https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/514792.html}}<br />{{Cite news |date=28 June 2018 |title=Donbas conflicting parties promise to observe truce from July 1 – Sajdik |agency=[[Interfax-Ukraine]] |url=https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/514874.html}}</ref> Within hours after its start both pro-Russian and Ukrainian sides accused each other of violating this truce.<ref name="10170890-new-truce">[https://www.unian.info/m/war/10170890-new-truce-in-donbas-fails-as-russian-controlled-troops-mount-two-attacks-on-ukrainian-army.html New truce in Donbas fails as Russian-controlled troops mount two attacks on Ukrainian army], [[UNIAN]] (1 July 2018)<br />{{in lang|ru}} [http://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/5338536 ДНР has accused the Ukrainian siloviki of violating the "grain ceasefire"], [[TASS]] (1 July 2018)<br />{{in lang|ru}} [http://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/5338710 In ЛНР have declared, that the Kyiv siloviki have thrown to a contact line tanks and mortars], [[TASS]] (1 July 2018)<br />[https://www.unian.info/m/war/10171364-jfo-ukraine-reports-25-enemy-attacks-in-last-day.html JFO: Ukraine reports 25 enemy attacks in last day], [[UNIAN]] (2 July 2018)</ref> The 29 August 2018 ceasefire also failed.<ref name="www.unian.info/war/10278909">[https://www.unian.info/war/10278909-osce-s-apakan-political-will-needed-for-long-term-sustainable-solution-to-conflict-in-eastern-ukraine.html OSCE's Apakan: Political will needed for long-term sustainable solution to conflict in eastern Ukraine], [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (28 September 2018)</ref><ref name="tass.com/world/1027270"/> On 31 August 2018, [[Donetsk People's Republic|DPR]] leader [[Alexander Zakharchenko]] was killed in an explosion at a restaurant.<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 August 2018 |title=Pro-Russian rebel leader killed in eastern Ukraine blast |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/pro-russian-rebel-leader-killed-in-eastern-ukraine-blast/2018/08/31/12a18336-ad37-11e8-b1da-ff7faa680710_story.html}}</ref>
As reported on 27 December 2018, Yuriy Biriukov, an advisor to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, claimed that almost the entire "grey zone" between the warring sides had been liberated from Russian-led forces without breaching the Minsk peace agreements, and came under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Almost entire 'gray' zone in Donbas liberated by Ukraine without Minsk deal breach – adviser |url=https://www.unian.info/war/10391709-almost-entire-gray-zone-in-donbas-liberated-by-ukraine-without-minsk-deal-breach-adviser.html}}, [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (27 December 2018)</ref> This was confirmed the following day by [[Chief of the General Staff (Ukraine)|Chief of the General Staff]] of the [[Armed Forces of Ukraine]] [[Viktor Muzhenko]].<ref>[https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/556172.html Ukraine tightens control over several towns in Donbas in accordance to Minsk agreements – Muzhenko], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (28 December 2018)</ref> On the same day, a new (and the 22nd<ref name="tass1038447">[http://tass.com/world/1038447 New Year ceasefire enters into force in Donbass], [[TASS]] (29 December 2018)</ref> attempt at an) indefinite truce starting midnight 29 December was agreed.<ref>[https://www.unian.info/m/war/10392612-parties-to-conflict-in-donbas-agree-on-new-year-truce-from-dec-29-ukrainian-envoy.html Parties to conflict in Donbas agree on New Year truce from Dec 29 – Ukrainian envoy], [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (27 December 2018)</ref> Both the Ukrainians and the separatists accused each other of violating the ceasefire on the day it came into effect.<ref name="Ukrinform2610493">[https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-defense/2610493-invaders-use-grenade-launchers-in-first-hours-of-new-year-truce-in-donbas.html Invaders use grenade launchers in first hours of New Year truce in Donbas], [[Ukrinform]] (29 December 2018)</ref><ref name="ria.ru/20181229">{{in lang|ru}} [https://ria.ru/20181229/1548914320.html In the LPR, Kyiv was accused of violating the "New Year" truce], [[RIA Novosti]] (29 December 2018)</ref>
On 7 March 2019, the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine agreed on a new truce to start on 8 March 2019.<ref name="trucedonbas10472646">[https://www.unian.info/m/war/10472646-new-truce-in-donbas-announced-from-march-8.html New truce in Donbas announced from March 8], [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (7 March 2019)</ref> Although Ukraine claimed that "Russian proxies" (the separatists) had violated it on the same day, fighting did die down, with the Ukrainian side stating that the ceasefire was fully observed from 10 March 2019.<ref name="trucedonbas11M19">[https://www.unian.info/war/10474482-donbas-sees-full-ceasefire-in-past-day.html Donbas sees full ceasefire in past day], [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (11 March 2019)</ref>
===October 2019 Steinmeier formula agreement and July 2020 ceasefire===
[[File:Zelensky, Merkel, Macron, Putin, (2019-12-10) 01.jpg|thumb|Zelensky, Merkel, Macron and Putin in Paris, France, December 2019]]
Following extensive negotiations, Ukraine, Russia, the DPR, LPR, and the OSCE signed an agreement to try to end the conflict in Donbas on 1 October 2019. Called the "Steinmeier formula", after its proposer the German President [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]], the agreement envisages the holding of free elections in DPR and LPR territories, observed and verified by the OSCE, and the subsequent reintegration of those territories into Ukraine with special status. Russia demanded the agreement's signing before any continuation of the "[[Normandy format]]" peace talks.<ref name="bbc11oct1">{{Cite news |date=11 October 2019 |title=Will a deal with Russia bring peace to Ukraine? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49986007 |access-date=11 October 2019}}</ref> A survey of public opinion in DPR and LPR-controlled Donbas conducted by the Centre for East European and International Studies in March 2019 found that 55% of those polled favoured reintegration with Ukraine. 24% of those in favour of reintegration supported a return to the pre-war administrative system for Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, while 33% percent supported special status for the region.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sasse |first=Gwendolyn |title=Most people in separatist-held areas of Donbas prefer reintegration with Ukraine – new survey |url=http://theconversation.com/most-people-in-separatist-held-areas-of-donbas-prefer-reintegration-with-ukraine-new-survey-124849 |access-date=3 November 2019 |website=The Conversation |language=en}}</ref>
In line with the Steinmeier formula, Ukrainian and separatist troops began withdrawing from the town of [[Zolote]] on 29 October. Attempts to withdraw earlier in the month had been prevented by protests from Ukrainian war veterans.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 October 2019 |title=Troops pull out from key Ukrainian front-line town |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50221995 |access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref> A further withdrawal was successfully completed in [[Petrovske]] during November. Following the withdrawals, and a successful Russian–Ukrainian prisoner swap, Russian president Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian president [[Volodymyr Zelensky]], French president [[Emmanuel Macron]] and German chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] met in Paris on 9 December 2019 in a resumption of the Normandy format talks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 December 2019 |title=Putin and Zelensky in landmark Paris peace talks |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50713647 |access-date=9 December 2019}}</ref> The two sides agreed to exchange all remaining prisoners of war by the end of 2019, work toward new elections in Donbas, and schedule further talks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 December 2019 |title=Russia and Ukraine leaders, in first talks, agree to exchange prisoners |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-summit-communique/russia-and-ukraine-leaders-in-first-talks-agree-to-exchange-prisoners-idUSKBN1YD2GA |access-date=9 December 2019}}</ref>
The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] deteriorated the [[Humanitarian situation during the war in Donbas#Living conditions in the conflict zone|living conditions in the conflict zone]].<ref name="da2">{{cite news |date=20 April 2020 |title=COVID-19 turns the clock back on the war in Ukraine, as needs grow |language=en |work=The New Humanitarian |url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/feature/2020/04/20/coronavirus-ukraine-war |access-date=3 June 2020}}</ref> Particularly, quarantine measures imposed by Ukraine, the DPR, and the LPR prevents those in the occupied territories from crossing the line of contact, negating access to critical resources.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 April 2020 |title=Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine is a ticking coronavirus time bomb |language=en-US |work=Atlantic Council |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/russian-occupied-eastern-ukraine-is-a-ticking-coronavirus-time-bomb/ |access-date=3 June 2020}}</ref><ref name="da2" /> Fighting increased in March 2020, with nineteen civilians killed, more than in the previous five months combined.<ref name="da2" /> While some crossings opened to small numbers of people in June 2020, the DPR introduced new regulations, ostensibly to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which made it nigh impossible for most people to cross the line of contact. In contrast, the Russian border completely reopened.<ref name="dafafae2">{{Cite report |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/coronavirus-donbas-crossing-points/ |title=In Ukraine's Donbas, coronavirus is pushing people on both sides ever further apart |date=30 June 2020 |publisher=openDemocracy |language=en}}</ref>
The 29th attempt<ref name="7265424Donbass">{{in lang|uk}} [https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2020/09/7/7265424/ The longest truce in Donbas. Does it really exist], [[Ukrayinska Pravda]] (7 September 2020)</ref> at a "full and comprehensive" ceasefire came into effect on 27 July 2020.<ref name="11123774Ukrainian">[https://www.unian.info/war/donbas-two-ukrainian-soldiers-injured-in-booby-trap-blast-11123774.html Two Ukrainian soldiers injured in booby-trap blast in Donbas], [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (25 August 2020)</ref> During his 24 August 2020 [[Independence Day of Ukraine|Ukrainian Independence Day]] speech, President Zelensky announced the ceasefire had held, leading to 29 days without combat losses.<ref name="3086612presidentukraine">[https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-society/3086612-president-ukraine-suffers-no-combat-casualties-for-29-days-in-a-row.html President: Ukraine suffers no combat casualties for 29 days in a row], [[Ukrinform]] (24 August 2020)</ref> Zelensky also admitted, however, that despite the prisoner exchange and de-mining operations that had taken place, the peace process did not move as fast as he had expected when he signed the 9 December 2019 summit.<ref name="zelenskyy-high-chance">[https://www.euronews.com/2020/08/25/volodymyr-zelenskyy-high-chance-of-ending-war-in-ukraine-this-year Volodymyr Zelenskyy: 'high chance' of ending war in Ukraine 'this year'.], [[Euronews]] (25 August 2020)</ref> On 6 September 2020, the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported its first combat loss since the 27 July 2020 truce, when a soldier was killed by shelling.<ref name="7265466pravdacom">{{in lang|uk}} [https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2020/09/6/7265466/ The militants violated the truce for the second time – a soldier was killed], [[Ukrayinska Pravda]] (6 September 2020)</ref> Despite this, President Zelensky stated on 7 November 2020 that since the July 2020 ceasefire was established, deaths of Ukrainian soldiers in combat had decreased tenfold, and the number of attacks on soldiers decreased by five-and-a-half-fold.<ref name="3131969ukrinform"/> From 27 July 2020 until 7 November 2020, only three Ukrainian soldiers were killed.<ref name="3131969ukrinform">[https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-defense/3131969-number-of-ukrainian-soldiers-killed-in-donbas-decrease-tenfold-over-103-days-of-ceasefire.html Number of Ukrainian soldiers killed in Donbas decreases tenfold over 103 days of ceasefire], [[Ukrinform]] (7 November 2020)</ref>
===2021–2022 escalation and Russo-Ukrainian crisis===
{{see|2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis}}
According to Ukrainian authorities, in the first three months of 2021, 25 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the conflict zone, compared to a total of 50 that had died in all of 2020.<ref name="56678665Ukraineconflict">[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56678665 Ukraine conflict: Moscow could 'defend' Russia-backed rebels], [[BBC News]] (9 April 2021)</ref> According to the Ombudsman of the DPR, 85 soldiers and 30 civilians were killed in January–October 2021 as a consequence of military action.<ref>{{cite web |title=Обзор социально-гуманитарной ситуации, сложившейся на территории Донецкой Народной Республики вследствие военных действий в период с 30 октября по 05 ноября 2021 г. |url=https://ombudsman-dnr.ru/obzor-soczialno-gumanitarnoj-situaczii-slozhivshejsya-na-territorii-doneczkoj-narodnoj-respubliki-vsledstvie-voennyh-dejstvij-v-period-s-30-oktyabrya-po-05-noyabrya-2021-g/ |website=Office of the Ombudsman of DPR / Уполномоченный по правам человека ДНР |access-date=6 November 2021 |language=ru}}</ref>
In late March–early April 2021, the Russian military moved large quantities of arms and equipment from western and central Russia, and as far away as Siberia, into occupied Crimea and the [[Voronezh Oblast|Voronezh]] and [[Rostov Oblast|Rostov]] oblasts of Russia.<ref>{{cite news|title=EU and UK pledge backing to Ukraine after Russian military buildup|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/05/eu-sounds-alarm-at-russian-troops-ukraine-border-moves|access-date=2021-04-10|work=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> A [[Jane's Information Group|Janes]] intelligence specialist identified fourteen Russian military units from the [[Central Military District]] that had moved into the vicinity of the Russo-Ukrainian border, and called it the largest unannounced military movement since the 2014 invasion of Crimea.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Ground Troop Units and Iskander ballistic missiles identified at Ukrainian border by Janes|url=https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/russian-ground-troop-units-and-iskander-ballistic-missiles-identified-at-ukrainian-border-by-janes|access-date=2021-04-10|website=Janes.com|language=en}}</ref> Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces [[Ruslan Khomchak]] said that Russia has stationed twenty-eight battalion tactical groups along the border, and that it was expected that twenty-five more were to be brought in,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Khomchak: Twenty-eight Russian battalion tactical groups stationed on border with Ukraine|url=https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-defense/3217976-khomchak-twentyeight-russian-battalion-tactical-groups-stationed-on-border-with-ukraine.html|access-date=2021-04-10|website=ukrinform.net|language=en}}</ref> including in [[Bryansk Oblast|Bryansk]] and Voronezh oblasts in Russia's [[Western Military District]]. The following day, Russian state news agency TASS reported that fifty of its BTGs consisting of 15,000 soldiers were massed for drills in the [[Southern Military District]], which includes occupied Crimea and also borders the Donbas conflict zone.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Over 50 battalion tactical groups to fight enemy drones in southern Russia drills|url=https://tass.com/defense/1273413|access-date=2021-04-10|agency=TASS}}</ref> By April 9, the head of the [[State Border Guard Service of Ukraine|Ukrainian border guard]] estimated that 85,000 Russian soldiers were already in Crimea or within {{convert|40|km}} of the Ukrainian border.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Morris|first=Loveday|date=2021-04-09|title=On Ukraine's doorstep, Russia boosts military and sends message of regional clout to Biden|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-ukraine-military-biden-donbas/2021/04/09/99859490-96d3-11eb-8f0a-3384cf4fb399_story.html|access-date=2021-04-11}}</ref>
A Russian government spokesman said that Russian military movements pose no threat,<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-04-01|title=Kremlin says military movements near Ukraine are defensive, pose no threat|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-russia-kremlin-idUSKBN2BO51M|access-date=2021-04-12}}</ref> but Russian official [[Dmitry Kozak]] warned that Russian forces could act to "defend" Russian citizens in Ukraine, and any escalation of the Donbas conflict would mean "the beginning of the end of Ukraine" – "not a shot in the leg, but in the face".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mackinnon|first=Amy|title=Is Russia Preparing to Go to War in Ukraine?|language=en-US|work=Foreign Policy|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/09/russia-troops-border-donbass-war-putin-zelensky-ukraine/|access-date=2021-04-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-04-09|title=Ukraine conflict: Moscow could 'defend' Russia-backed rebels|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56678665|access-date=2021-04-12}}</ref> By this time, some half a million people in the self-proclaimed [[Donetsk People's Republic]] and [[Luhansk People's Republic]] had been issued [[Russian passport]]s since fighting broke out in 2014.<ref name="56746144Ukraineconflict">[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56746144 Why Russia may not be planning the invasion that Ukraine fears], [[BBC News]] (15 April 2021)</ref> Russia refused to participate when Ukraine requested a [[Vienna Document]] meeting with [[France]], [[Germany]], and the [[OSCE]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Western countries knock Russia for not attending talks on Ukraine|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/western-countries-knock-russia-for-not-attending-talks-on-ukraine/ar-BB1fw1YX|access-date=2021-04-10|publisher=MSN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Amt|first=Auswärtiges|title=Statement by Germany and France on the occasion of a meeting of OSCE participating States on unusual military activities on the Ukrainian-Russian border|url=https://wien-osze.diplo.de/osze-en/aktuelles/german-french-statement-ukraine-russia/2453272|access-date=2021-04-11|website=wien-osze.diplo.de|language=en}}</ref> German chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] telephoned Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] to demand a reversal of the buildup.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-04-08|title=Merkel demanded Putin reduce Russian troops around Ukraine: German statement|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-merkel-putin-idUSKBN2BV1VJ|access-date=2021-04-10}}</ref> United States White House press secretary [[Jen Psaki]] announced in early April 2021 that a buildup of Russian troops on Ukrainian border was the largest since 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-04-09 |title=Ukraine conflict: Moscow could 'defend' Russia-backed rebels |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56678665 |access-date=2021-04-10}}</ref>
In April 2021, Ukraine performed the first operational rollout of [[Turkey|Turkish]]-made [[Bayraktar TB2]] military drones in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Charpentreau|first=Clement|date=2021-04-14|title=Ukraine flies its first Turkish-made armed drone over Donbas|url=https://www.aerotime.aero/27677-ukraine-flies-its-first-turkish-made-armed-drone-over-donbas|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-21|website=Aerotime|language=en}}</ref> In November, a Bayraktar drone on the Ukrainian-government-controlled side of the line of contact was used to destroy a separatist artillery piece on the other side, which was conducting a strike that levelled homes and wounded and killed Ukrainian soldiers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ukraine's Recent Drone Strike Reignites Tensions in Donbass |url=https://nationalinterest.org/feature/ukraine’s-recent-drone-strike-reignites-tensions-donbass-195709 |website=The National Interest |access-date=2 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Isabelle Khurshudyan and David L. Stern|date=2022-01-15|title=Why Ukraine's Turkish-made drone became a flash point in tensions with Russia|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/01/15/ukraine-russia-drones-turkey/|access-date=2022-01-29|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In November, DNR leader Denis Pushilin said Ukrainian troops regained control of the village of Staromarivka in the grey zone.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-10-27|title=Ukrainian forces seize village of Staromaryevka — Donetsk Republic|language=en|work=TASS|access-date=2021-11-01|url=https://tass.com/world/1354741}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=November 2021|reason=TASS is not consistently reliable per [[WP:RSP]]}} The use of Ukrainian and Russian drones was criticised by France and Germany, while the United States pointed out that the Russia-led side has repeatedly violated agreements by the use of drones and howitzer artillery.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ukraine's Zelenskiy Defends Drone Strike On Russia-Backed Separatists |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-drone-strike-separatists-zelenskiy/31536185.html |website=RFERL |access-date=2 November 2021}}</ref> Russian agencies reported unease from the development, warning that further usage of the Bayraktar TB2 in the Donbas could "destabilize the situation" in the region.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-10-27|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kremlin-says-turkish-drones-risk-destabilising-situation-east-ukraine-2021-10-27/|title=Kremlin says Turkish drones risk destabilising situation in east Ukraine|language=en|work=Reuters|access-date=2021-11-01}}</ref>
In December 2021, Ukrainian authorities said that Russia was sending snipers and tanks to the region.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Reuters|date=2021-12-07|title=Russia sending snipers and tanks to try to provoke Ukraine in Donbass, Kyiv says|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-sending-snipers-tanks-try-provoke-ukraine-donbass-kyiv-says-2021-12-07/|access-date=2021-12-09}}</ref> On 21 January 2022, the [[Chairman of the State Duma|Chairman of the Russian State Duma]], [[Vyacheslav Volodin]], called for a discussion in the parliamentary body to recognize the independence of the Donbas region and its separation from Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Jerusalem Post|date=2022-01-21|title=Russian Duma chair calls to recognize Donbas independence from Ukraine|language=en|work=Jerusalem Post|url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-694173}}</ref> By February 2022, fighting had escalated. For example, the Ukrainian military reported enduring 60 attacks along the line of contact on 17 February alone, including "one shell that struck a kindergarten near the front line, injuring three staff. There were two to five attacks per day over the first six weeks of this year".<ref>{{cite newspaper|journal=[[The Globe and Mail]]|page=A3|author=Mark MacKinnon and Adrian Morrow|title=Putin orders snap nuclear drill}}</ref>
[[2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis|Amid increased tensions between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022]], Russian president Vladimir Putin announced on 21 February that Russia would recognise the [[International recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic|independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics]].<ref name="sds235s">{{Cite news |date=2022-02-22 |title=Ukraine crisis: Russia orders troops into rebel-held regions |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60468237 |access-date=2022-02-22}}</ref> This announcement was followed by an order to deploy Russian troops to the Donbas as "peacekeepers".<ref name="sds235s" /> A number of western countries, including the US, UK, and the EU, announced that they would impose new sanctions on Russian-connected organisations in response.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-02-22 |title=Ukraine crisis: UK to sanction Russia over breakaway regions decision |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-60472639 |access-date=2022-02-22}}</ref>
== Combatants ==
===List of combatants===
{{main|Combatants of the war in Donbas}}
Diverse forces of both foreign and domestic origin have participated in the war in Donbas.
=== Russian involvement ===
{{Main|Russo-Ukrainian War}}
[[File:2016-05-09. День Победы в Донецке 040.jpg|thumb|Rebel-held Donetsk in 2016. The [[Flag of Russia|Russian flag]] can be seen in the background.]]
Russian involvement in the Donbas war has taken a variety of forms since the beginning of the conflict in 2014.
The initial protests across southern and eastern Ukraine were largely native expressions of discontent with the new Ukrainian government.<ref name="de" /> Russian involvement at this stage was limited to its voicing of support for the demonstrations, and the emergence of the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk began as a small fringe group of the protesters, independent of Russian control.<ref name="de" /><ref name="wil234">{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Andrew |date=20 April 2016 |title=The Donbas in 2014: Explaining Civil Conflict Perhaps, but not Civil War |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |language=en |volume=68 |issue=4 |pages=631–652 |doi=10.1080/09668136.2016.1176994 |issn=0966-8136 |s2cid=148334453}}</ref> Russia would go on to take advantage of this, however, to launch a co-ordinated political and military campaign against Ukraine, as part of the broader [[Russo-Ukrainian War]].<ref name="de" /><ref name="karb2">{{Cite report |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316122469 |title="Lessons Learned" from the Russo-Ukrainian War |last=Karber |first=Phillip A. |date=29 September 2015 |publisher=The Potomac Foundation}}</ref> Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] gave legitimacy to the nascent separatist movement when he described the Donbas as part of the historic "[[New Russia]]" (''Novorossiya'') region, and issued a statement of bewilderment as how the region had ever become part of Ukraine in 1922 with the foundation of the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Freedman |first=Lawrence |date=2 November 2014 |title=Ukraine and the Art of Limited War |journal=Survival |language=en |volume=56 |issue=6 |page=13 |doi=10.1080/00396338.2014.985432 |issn=0039-6338 |s2cid=154981360}}</ref> When the Ukrainian authorities cracked down on the pro-Russian protests and arrested local separatist leaders in early March, these were replaced by people with ties to the Russian security services and interests in Russian businesses, probably by order of Russian intelligence.<ref name="de99">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |page=38 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref> By April 2014, Russians citizens had taken control of the separatist movement, and were supported by volunteers and materiel from Russia, including Chechen and Cossack militants.<ref name="de2">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=43–44 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref><ref name="jamestown-20140815" /><ref name="REUeuada" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Matsuzato |first=Kimitaka |date=22 March 2017 |title=The Donbass War: Outbreak and Deadlock |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&issn=10746846&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA492538899&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=abs |journal=Demokratizatsiya |language=en |location=Princeton |publisher=Princeton University Press |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=175–202 |isbn=978-1-4008-8731-6}}</ref> According to DPR insurgent commander [[Igor Girkin]], without this support in April, the movement would have fizzled out, as in it did in [[Kharkiv]] and [[Odessa]].<ref name="wil2399">{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Andrew |date=20 April 2016 |title=The Donbas in 2014: Explaining Civil Conflict Perhaps, but not Civil War |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |language=en |volume=68 |issue=4 |pages=647–648 |doi=10.1080/09668136.2016.1176994 |issn=0966-8136 |s2cid=148334453}}</ref> As conflict between the separatists and the Ukrainian government escalated in May 2014, Russia began to employ a "[[Hybrid warfare|hybrid]] approach", deploying a combination of disinformation tactics, irregular fighters, regular Russian troops, and conventional military support to support the separatists and destabilise the Donbas region.<ref name="de3" /><ref name="Fedorov" /><ref name=karber2/> The [[First Battle of Donetsk Airport]] in late May 2014 marked a turning point in conflict; it was the first battle between the separatists and the Ukrainian government that involved large amounts of Russian volunteers.<ref name="de98">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |page=43 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref><ref name="LoshkariovSushentsov2016">{{Cite journal |last1=Loshkariov |first1=Ivan D. |last2=Sushentsov |first2=Andrey A. |date=2 January 2016 |title=Radicalization of Russians in Ukraine: from 'accidental' diaspora to rebel movement |journal=Southeast European and Black Sea Studies |publisher=Informa UK Limited |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=71–90 |doi=10.1080/14683857.2016.1149349 |issn=1468-3857 |s2cid=147321629}}</ref>{{rp|15}} According to the Ukrainian government, at the height of the conflict in the summer of 2014, Russian paramilitaries were reported to make up between 15% to 80% of the combatants.<ref name="REUeuada" />
By August 2014, the Ukrainian "Anti-Terrorist Operation" was able to vastly shrink the territory under the control of the pro-Russian forces, and came close to regaining control of the Russo-Ukrainian border.<ref name="de4" /> Igor Girkin urged Russian military intervention, and said that the combat inexperience of his irregular forces, along with recruitment difficulties amongst the local population in Donetsk Oblast had caused the setbacks. He addressed Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]], saying that: "Losing this war on the territory that President Vladimir Putin personally named New Russia would threaten the Kremlin's power and, personally, the power of the president".<ref name="The Daily Beast" /> In response to the deteriorating situation in the Donbas, Russia abandoned its hybrid approach, and began a conventional invasion of the region.<ref name=de4/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Snyder |first=Timothy |title=The road to unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America |isbn=978-0-525-57446-0 |edition=First |location=New York, NY |page=191 |oclc=1029484935}}</ref> The first sign of this invasion was the 25 August 2014 capture of a group of Russian paratroopers on active service in Ukrainian territory by the [[Security Service of Ukraine|Ukrainian security service]] (SBU).<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 August 2014 |title=На Донеччині затримано десять громадян Росії, які незаконно перетнули кордон України зі зброєю у складі диверсійної групи |trans-title=Group of Russian citizens held in Donetsk region crossed the border with weapons as part of sabotage group |url=http://www.sbu.gov.ua/sbu/control/uk/publish/article?art_id=130629&cat_id=39574 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828070826/http://www.sbu.gov.ua/sbu/control/uk/publish/article?art_id=130629&cat_id=39574 |archive-date=28 August 2014 |access-date=25 August 2014 |publisher=Security Service of Ukraine}}</ref> The SBU released photographs of them, and their names.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 August 2014 |title=Оприлюднено фото затриманих російських військових |trans-title=Released photos of Russian soldiers |url=http://www.unian.ua/politics/955169-oprilyudneno-foto-zatrimanih-rosiyskih-viyskovih.html#ad-image-1 |access-date=25 August 2014 |publisher=Unian.ua}}</ref> On the following day, the Russian Defence Ministry said these soldiers had crossed the border "by accident".<ref name="BBC26AUGY2">{{Cite news |date=26 August 2014 |title=Captured Russian troops 'in Ukraine by accident' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28934213 |access-date=13 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=26 August 2014 |title=Москва: задержанные на Украине военные пересекли границу случайно |trans-title=Moscow: soldiers arrested in Ukraine crossed the border by accident |url=http://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2014/08/26/n_6425813.shtml |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Gazeta.ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Freedman |first=Lawrence |date=2 November 2014 |title=Ukraine and the Art of Limited War |journal=Survival |language=en |volume=56 |issue=6 |page=35 |doi=10.1080/00396338.2014.985432 |issn=0039-6338 |s2cid=154981360}}</ref> According to Nikolai Mitrokhin's estimates, by mid-August 2014 during the [[Battle of Ilovaisk]], there were between 20,000 and 25,000 troops fighting in the Donbas on the separatist side, and only between 40% and 45% were "locals".<ref name="wil2">{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Andrew |date=20 April 2016 |title=The Donbas in 2014: Explaining Civil Conflict Perhaps, but not Civil War |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |language=en |volume=68 |issue=4 |page=649 |doi=10.1080/09668136.2016.1176994 |issn=0966-8136 |s2cid=148334453}}</ref>
Beginning on 27 August 2014, vast amounts of military equipment and troops crossed the border from Russia into southern Donetsk Oblast, an area previously controlled by the Ukrainian government. Western officials described this new offensive as a "stealth invasion" by the Russian Federation. [[US State Department]] spokesman [[Jen Psaki]] said that "these incursions indicate a Russian-directed counteroffensive is likely underway", and Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]] said "An invasion of Russian forces has taken place".<ref name="NYT2782014" /><ref name="REUuars" /><ref name="Pgov31102" /> NATO commander Brig. Gen. Nico Tak said on 28 August 2014 that "well over" 1,000 Russian soldiers were operating in the Donbas conflict zone.<ref name="NY28Aug2014" /> During the week prior to the invasion, Russia shelled Ukrainian units from across the border.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Russia escalates tensions with aid convoy, reported firing of artillery inside Ukraine |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russian-humanitarian-convoy-enters-ukraine-despite-warnings/2014/08/22/7b14fa8e-29e1-11e4-8593-da634b334390_story.html |access-date=25 September 2014 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> [[Russian cross-border artillery shelling of Ukraine (2014)|Instances of cross-border shelling from Russia]] had been reported for six weeks from mid-July, during which the Russians launched 53 strikes at 40 different locations, severely impacting the Ukrainian military operation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Babiak |first=Mat |date=17 July 2014 |title=Provallia in flames, details on Russian rocket strike |publisher=Ukrainian Policy |url=http://ukrainianpolicy.com/provallia-in-flames-details-on-russian-rocket-strike/ |access-date=28 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402182336/http://ukrainianpolicy.com/provallia-in-flames-details-on-russian-rocket-strike/ |archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pressimus – Press – Published by Interpreter_Mag |url=https://pressimus.com/Interpreter_Mag/press/3365 |access-date=25 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=karber2/> At the time, Russian government spokesmen denied all reports of Russian intervention in the Donbas.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Julian E. |last2=Mauldin |first2=William |date=24 July 2014 |title=U.S. Says Russian Artillery Firing Across Border into Ukraine |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-says-russia-firing-across-border-into-ukraine-1406231618 |access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref> These denials have been viewed as implausible, to the point where it seemed that the Russian government no longer cared about the appearance of propriety.<ref name="Freedman">{{Cite journal |last=Freedman |first=Lawrence |date=2 November 2014 |title=Ukraine and the Art of Limited War |journal=Survival |language=en |volume=56 |issue=6 |page=23 |doi=10.1080/00396338.2014.985432 |issn=0039-6338 |s2cid=154981360}}</ref> There was limited support for separatism in Donbas before the outbreak of the war, and little evidence of support for an armed uprising.<ref name="wil9">{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Andrew |date=20 April 2016 |title=The Donbas in 2014: Explaining Civil Conflict Perhaps, but not Civil War |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |language=en |volume=68 |issue=4 |page=641 |doi=10.1080/09668136.2016.1176994 |issn=0966-8136 |s2cid=148334453}}</ref> Only Russian intervention prevented an immediate Ukrainian resolution to the conflict.<ref name="Freedman" /><ref name="wil3">{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Andrew |date=20 April 2016 |title=The Donbas in 2014: Explaining Civil Conflict Perhaps, but not Civil War |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |language=en |volume=68 |issue=4 |pages=634, 649 |doi=10.1080/09668136.2016.1176994 |issn=0966-8136 |s2cid=148334453}}</ref><ref name="myk22">{{Cite journal |last=Mykhnenko |first=Vlad |date=15 March 2020 |title=Causes and Consequences of the War in Eastern Ukraine: An Economic Geography Perspective |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |volume=72 |issue=3 |pages=528–560 |doi=10.1080/09668136.2019.1684447 |issn=0966-8136 |doi-access=free}}</ref> As a result, in the run up to the August 2014 invasion, Russia had also decided to replace many of the hardline leaders of the separatist movement, including Igor Girkin and DPR prime minister [[Alexander Borodai]]. These replacements, taken together with the subsequent invasion, represented another turning point in the nature of the conflict. Given the recent military failings of the DPR and the LPR, Russia decided that it could no longer rely on a patchwork of irregular fighters in the Donbas, and ordered a change in leadership.<ref name="de9" /> It abandoned the hardline Russian citizen-led separatist project, which it had been unable to fully control, and replaced it with the idea of special status for Donbas within Ukraine, and a more obedient local-based DPR/LPR command.<ref name="de22" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Matsuzato |first=Kimitaka |date=22 March 2017 |title=The Donbass War: Outbreak and Deadlock |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&issn=10746846&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA492538899&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=abs |journal=Demokratizatsiya |language=en |location=Princeton |publisher=Princeton University Press |volume=25 |issue=2 |page=176 |isbn=978-1-4008-8731-6}}</ref><ref name="Bandeira2019">{{Citation |last=Moniz Bandeira |first=Luiz Alberto |title=Ukrainian Separatists and the War in Donbass |year=2019 |work=The World Disorder: US Hegemony, Proxy Wars, Terrorism and Humanitarian Catastrophes |pages=235–247 |editor-last=Moniz Bandeira |editor-first=Luiz Alberto |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-03204-3_20 |isbn=978-3-030-03204-3}}</ref> This represented Russia's attempts at "indigenisation" of the conflict, using the militarily insignificant local pro-Russian political activists as political cover for the advancement of Russian interests in Ukraine.<ref name=wil2/>
Russian forces and equipment went on to participate in the [[Second Battle of Donetsk Airport]] and the [[Battle of Debaltseve]].<ref name="bbc1dec">{{Cite news |date=1 December 2014 |title=New battle rages at Donetsk airport |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30275259 |access-date=9 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="NYT13FEBY">{{Cite news |last1=Kramer |first1=Andrew E. |last2=Gordon |first2=Michael R. |date=13 February 2015 |title=U.S. Faults Russia as Combat Spikes in East Ukraine |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/14/world/europe/ukraine-fighting-escalates-ahead-of-truce.html |access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref> A report released by the [[Royal United Services Institute]] in March 2015 said that "the presence of large numbers of Russian troops on Ukrainian sovereign territory" had become a "permanent feature" of the war in Donbas since the August 2014 invasion.<ref name="GD11MA2015">{{Cite news |date=11 March 2015 |title=Russian military shelled Ukraine from mid-July, report says |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/11/russia-struggling-ukraine-military-operations-report |access-date=11 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="RUSIma2015">{{Cite web |last=Igor Sutyagin |date=March 2015 |title=Briefing Paper: Russian Forces in Ukraine |url=https://www.rusi.org/downloads/assets/201503_BP_Russian_Forces_in_Ukraine_FINAL.pdf |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6Y4ei6Ide?url=https://www.rusi.org/downloads/assets/201503_BP_Russian_Forces_in_Ukraine_FINAL.pdf |archive-date=26 April 2015 |access-date=11 March 2015 |publisher=Royal United Services Institute}}</ref> Following the Ukrainian defeat at Debaltseve, the parties to the conflict signed the [[Minsk II]] agreement to end the fighting on 15 February 2015.<ref name="de456">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=45–46 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref> These terms were highly favourable to Russia, in that they required Ukraine to grant "special status" to the separatist-held areas, and reintegrate them into Ukraine, similar to the federalisation espoused by pro-Russian protesters in early 2014.<ref name="de456" /> This would establish a Russian "strategic hook" within Ukraine that could be used to prevent future integration of that country with the [[European Union]] or [[NATO]].<ref name="de456" /> In a press conference on 17 December 2015, Russian president Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time that there had been a Russian military presence in the Donbas region, though he said that this did not mean that there were "Russian troops" there.<ref name="REU17DEC">{{Cite news |date=17 December 2015 |title=Russia's Putin lashes Turkey, says Russian forces were in Ukraine |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-putin-idUKKBN0U01KP20151217 |access-date=18 December 2015}}</ref> On 24 April 2019, President Putin issued an executive order fast-tracking the process for obtaining Russian citizenship for residents of the territories held by the DPR and the LPR. This is similar to what Russia has done in other pro-Russian protectorates established following post-Soviet conflicts, including in [[Transnistria]], [[Abkhazia]], and [[South Ossetia]].<ref name=myk22/> Russia recognised the DPR and LPR as independent states on 21 February 2022, and subsequently ordered Russian troops into the Donbas conflict zone as "peacekeepers".<ref name="sds235s" />
=== Military aid to Ukraine ===
In December 2017, the United States provided the Ukraine with lethal aid for the first time, in the form of [[FGM-148 Javelin|Javelin antitank missiles]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ukraine's Post-Independence Struggles|url=https://www.cfr.org/timeline/ukraines-post-independence-struggles|access-date=2021-12-13|website=Council on Foreign Relations|language=en}}</ref> Initially, these were to be kept away from the front, but after a second delivery of similar weapon systems they were cleared for use anywhere.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-12-26|title=Ukraine to buy more U.S. Javelin anti-tank missile systems|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-us-javelin-idUSKBN1YU10O|access-date=2021-12-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Trevithick|first=Joseph|title=Ukraine Cleared To Move Javelin Missiles To Front Lines To Blow Up Russian Tanks "Defensively"|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/34638/ukraine-cleared-to-move-javelin-missiles-to-front-lines-to-blow-up-russian-tanks-defensively|access-date=2021-12-13|website=The Drive|language=en}}</ref> In September 2021, Kyiv commanded military forces drill in a common exercise with US and NATO partners.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Reuters|date=2021-09-20|title=Ukraine holds military drills with U.S. forces, NATO allies|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraine-holds-military-drills-with-us-forces-nato-allies-2021-09-20/|access-date=2021-12-13}}</ref> The use of Javelins on the front line was reported in November 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Trevithick|first=Joseph|title=Ukrainian Troops Have Been Firing American-Made Javelin Missiles At Russian-Backed Forces|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43239/ukrainian-troops-have-been-firing-american-made-javelins-at-russian-backed-forces|access-date=2021-12-13|website=The Drive|language=en}}</ref>
== Casualties ==
{{Main|Casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian War}}
The number of confirmed fatalities (deaths) caused by the war was 13,100–13,300 as of the end of January 2021.<ref name="OHCHR" /> By the end of September 2021, the UN confirmed 3,393 civilians had been killed in the conflict. 312 of the civilian deaths were foreigners: 298 passengers and crew of [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 17]],<ref name="civilians" /> 11 Russian journalists,<ref name="gruz2000">{{Cite news |title=Проект "Груз-200 из Украины в Россию". |url=http://gruz200.zzz.com.ua/ |access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref> an Italian journalist,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Italian becomes first journalist killed in east Ukraine |language=en |work=South China Morning Post |url=http://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1519455/italian-journalist-and-russian-colleague-reported-killed-ukraine |access-date=4 February 2017}}</ref> one Russian civilian killed in [[Shelling of Donetsk, Russia|cross-border shelling]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 July 2014 |title=Russia warns Ukraine of 'irreversible consequences' after cross-border shelling |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-warns-ukraine-of-irreversible-consequences-after-cross-border-shelling/2014/07/13/d2be1bb0-0a85-11e4-8341-b8072b1e7348_story.html |access-date=14 July 2014 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> and a Lithuanian diplomat.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ukraine crisis: Lithuania envoy killed in Luhansk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28901386 |access-date=14 October 2014}}</ref>
=== Ukrainian forces ===
Ukrainian government forces have lost a confirmed total of 4,629 killed servicemen by the start of December 2021, including 211 foreign-born Ukrainian citizens and 13 foreigners.<ref name="memory">{{Cite web |script-title=uk:Книга пам'яті загиблих |trans-title=Memorial Book to the Fallen |url=http://memorybook.org.ua/index.htm |access-date=31 January 2015 |website=Herman Shapovalenko, Yevhen Vorokh, Yuriy Hirchenko |language=uk}}</ref><ref name="memory1">The Museum of Military History also lists separately 139 currently unidentified soldiers who were killed: 66 at Krasnopolye cemetery,[http://memorybook.org.ua/units/krasnopol.htm] 63 at Kushugum cemetery [http://memorybook.org.ua/units/kushugum.htm] and 10 at Starobilsk cemetery.[http://memorybook.org.ua/units/starobilsk.htm]</ref>{{refn|group=note|The number of Ukrainian soldiers killed includes the deaths of two servicemen during the [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation]].}} Another 70 Ukrainian soldiers were missing.<ref name="70missing" />
Pro-Russian sources claimed Ukrainian forces had: 10,000 killed, 20,000 wounded and 13,500 deserted or missing, by late June 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roundup Novorossia September 1, 2014 (video) |url=http://www.pravda-tv.ru/2014/09/02/82429 |access-date=14 October 2014}}</ref>
=== Separatist forces ===
{{see also|Alley of Angels in Donetsk}}
The separatists reported that they had lost 1,400 men at most as of the beginning of February 2015.<ref name="representative">{{Cite web |date=2 February 2015 |title=7,000 people killed during Donbas conflict – DPR representative |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/774959 |access-date=6 March 2015 |agency=TASS}}</ref> The United Nations reported 5,700 separatists were killed by the end of January 2021.<ref name="OHCHR" />
Ukraine claimed 7,577<ref>{{Cite web |title=At least 1,638 soldiers killed in Russia's war against Ukraine |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/at-least-1638-soldiers-killed-in-russias-war-against-ukraine-382732.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112115/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/at-least-1638-soldiers-killed-in-russias-war-against-ukraine-382732.html |archive-date=2 April 2015 |access-date=5 March 2015 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref>–14,600<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 March 2015 |title=From the beginning of ATO in Donbas more than 14,6 thousands of fighters were killed |url=http://donoda.gov.ua/?lang=ua&sec=02.03.09&iface=Public&cmd=view&args=id:25100;tags%24_exclude:46 |access-date=16 March 2015 |agency=Interfax}}</ref> separatists had been killed and 12,000 missing<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 January 2015 |script-title=uk:Скільки бойовиків і військових РФ загинули в Донбасі за час АТО |trans-title=How many fighters and RF military have been killed during the Donbas ATO |url=http://news.liga.net/ua/articles/politics/4860533-sk_lki_boyovik_v_v_yskovikh_rf_zaginuli_v_donbas_za_chas_ato.htm |website=LIGA news |language=uk}}</ref> during the fighting as of early 2015. They also claimed an additional 103 Russian servicemen were killed between January and April 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 April 2016 |title=Over 100 Russian servicemen killed in Donbas warzone since start of 2016 |publisher=uatoday.tv |url=http://uatoday.tv/politics/over-100-russian-servicemen-killed-in-donbas-warzone-since-start-of-2016-627063.html |access-date=16 October 2016}}</ref>
An image of a reported separatist graveyard in Donetsk in late February 2015,<ref name="cemetery">{{Cite web |date=20 February 2015 |title=Giant cemetery of unidentified Russian mercenaries found by Russian blogger in Donetsk |url=http://en.censor.net.ua/photo_news/325478/giant_cemetery_of_unidentified_russian_mercenaries_found_by_russian_blogger_in_donetsk_photo |website=Censor.net}}</ref> showed number plates running up to at least 2,213.<ref name="graves">{{Cite news |last=Maria Antonova |date=20 May 2015 |title=Russian activists say find fresh graves of soldiers killed in Ukraine |publisher=Yahoo News |agency=Agence France-Presse |url=https://news.yahoo.com/russian-activists-fresh-graves-soldiers-killed-ukraine-114424034.html |access-date=8 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521024231/http://news.yahoo.com/russian-activists-fresh-graves-soldiers-killed-ukraine-114424034.html |archive-date=21 May 2015}}</ref> In late August 2015, according to a reported ''leak'' by a Russian news site, Business Life (Delovaya Zhizn), 2,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in Ukraine by 1 February 2015.<ref name="2kup">{{Cite news |last=Goble |first=Paul A. |title=Over 2,000 Russian troops killed during Ukraine invasion |agency=Ukrainian Policy |url=http://ukrainianpolicy.com/over-2000-russian-troops-killed-during-ukraine-invasion/ |access-date=25 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150826002407/http://ukrainianpolicy.com/over-2000-russian-troops-killed-during-ukraine-invasion/ |archive-date=26 August 2015 |quote="As of February 1, 2015, Moscow had already paid monetary compensation "for more than 2,000 families of soldiers who had been killed and for 3,200 soldiers who were seriously wounded and recognized as invalids.""}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Segalov |first=Michael |date=26 August 2015 |title=The number of Russian troops killed or injured fighting in Ukraine seems to have been accidentally published |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-number-of-russian-troops-killed-or-injured-fighting-in-ukraine-seems-to-have-been-accidentally-10472603.html |access-date=26 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923170558/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-number-of-russian-troops-killed-or-injured-fighting-in-ukraine-seems-to-have-been-accidentally-10472603.html |archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref> The US Department of State reported that by early March 2015, 400–500 Russian soldiers had died.<ref name="nuland">{{Cite web |date=10 March 2015 |title=Nuland: At least 400–500 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine |url=http://www.unian.info/world/1053938-nuland-at-least-400-500-russian-soldiers-killed-in-ukraine.html |access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref>
By mid-February 2022, DPR separatist authorities reported that a total of 5,042 separatists and civilians had been killed in DPR-controlled territory,<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 February 2022 |title=The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities in the period from 12 and 18 February 2022 |url=https://eng.ombudsman-dnr.ru/the-overview-of-the-current-social-and-humanitarian-situation-in-the-territory-of-the-donetsk-peoples-republic-as-a-result-of-hostilities-in-the-period-from-12-and-18-february-2022/}}</ref> while the LPR reported 1,328 people had died in the LPR by January 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 January 2018 |title=Almost 6,000 civilians killed in Donbass conflict |publisher=dninews.com |url=https://dninews.com/article/almost-6000-civilians-killed-donbass-conflict |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127052415/https://dninews.com/article/almost-6000-civilians-killed-donbass-conflict |archive-date=27 January 2018}}</ref>
== Humanitarian concerns ==
{{Main|Humanitarian situation during the war in Donbas}}
[[File:Lysychansk 16.jpg|thumb|Damaged building in [[Lysychansk]], 4 August 2014]]
The [[United Nations]] observed an "alarming deterioration" in human rights in territory held by insurgents affiliated with the [[Donetsk People's Republic]] and [[Luhansk People's Republic]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 May 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: UN sounds alarm on human rights in east |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27438422 |access-date=17 May 2014}}</ref> The UN reported growing lawlessness in the region, documenting cases of targeted killings, torture, and abduction, primarily carried out by the forces of the Donetsk People's Republic.<ref name="un" /> The UN also reported threats against, attacks on, and abductions of journalists and international observers, as well as the beatings and attacks on supporters of Ukrainian unity.<ref name="un">{{Cite book |url=http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/HRMMUReport15May2014.pdf |title=Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine |date=15 May 2014 |publisher=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights}}</ref> [[Russia]] criticised these reports, and said that they were "politically motivated".<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 May 2014 |title=Russia lambasts U.N. report on rights in Ukraine |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-un-idUSBREA4F05Y20140516 |access-date=13 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140518010929/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/16/us-ukraine-crisis-un-idUSBREA4F05Y20140516 |archive-date=18 May 2014}}</ref> A report by [[Human Rights Watch]] said "Anti-Kyiv forces in eastern Ukraine are abducting, attacking, and harassing people they suspect of supporting the Ukrainian government or consider undesirable...anti-Kyiv insurgents are using beatings and kidnappings to send the message that anyone who doesn't support them had better shut up or leave".<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 May 2014 |title=Ukraine: Anti-Kiev Forces Running Amok |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/23/ukraine-anti-kiev-forces-running-amok |access-date=24 July 2014 |publisher=Human Rights Watch}}</ref> There were also multiple instances of beatings, abductions, and possible executions of local residents by Ukrainian troops,<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 September 2014 |title=Ukrainian Nationalist Volunteers Committing 'ISIS-Style' War Crimes |work=[[Newsweek]] |url=http://www.newsweek.com/evidence-war-crimes-committed-ukrainian-nationalist-volunteers-grows-269604}}</ref> such as [[Oleh Lyashko]]'s militia and the [[Aidar Battalion|Aidar]] [[Territorial defence battalion (Ukraine)|territorial defence battalion]].<ref name="AMsdsd">{{Cite press release |title=Impunity reigns for abductions and ill-treatment by pro-Kyiv vigilantes in eastern Ukraine |date=6 August 2014 |publisher=Amnesty International |url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/news-item/impunity-reigns-for-abductions-and-ill-treatment-by-pro-kyiv-vigilantes-in-eastern-ukraine |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> Amnesty International noted that pro-Kyiv volunteer battalions are increasingly [[Blockade|blocking]] humanitarian aid into eastern Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 January 2015 |title=More than one million flee, Ukraine close to 'humanitarian catastrophe' |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-aid-idUSKBN0KH1VZ20150108 |access-date=13 January 2015}}</ref> In August, Igor Druz, a senior advisor to pro-Russian insurgent commander [[Igor Girkin]], said that "On several occasions, in a state of emergency, we have carried out executions by shooting to prevent chaos. As a result, our troops, the ones who have pulled out of Sloviansk, are highly disciplined".<ref name="BBCexec">{{Cite news |date=2 August 2014 |title=Rebel adviser 'admits executions' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28619599 |access-date=2 August 2014}}</ref> By the end of 2015, there had been 79 places in the combined DPR and LPR territory where abducted civilians and prisoners of war were held.<ref>{{Cite web |title=На неконтролируемой Украиной территории Донбасса есть 79 неофициальных мест незаконного содержания людей |url=http://interfax.com.ua/news/general/307388.html |access-date=29 November 2015 |publisher=Interfax Ukraine}}</ref>
A report by the United Nations [[Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights]] (OHCHR) released on 28 July 2014 said that based on "conservative estimates", at least 1,129 civilians had been killed since mid-April during the fighting, and at least 3,442 had been wounded.<ref name="IFadaf">{{Cite news |date=28 July 2014 |title=1,129 civilians killed, 3,442 injured in Ukraine during anti-terrorist operation – UN report |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215684.html |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="OHCHRrep">{{Cite press release |title=Intense fighting in eastern Ukraine 'extremely alarming', says Pillay, as UN releases new report |date=28 July 2014 |publisher=Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights |url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true&LangID=E |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref> In addition, the report found that at least 750 million US dollars worth of damage has been done to property and infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.<ref name="OHCHRrep" /> Human Rights Watch said that Ukrainian government forces, pro-government paramilitaries, and the insurgents had used unguided [[Grad rocket|Grad]] rockets in 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".<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Ukraine: Unguided Rockets Killing Civilians |date=24 July 2014 |publisher=Human Rights Watch |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/07/24/ukraine-unguided-rockets-killing-civilians |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref><ref>"[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/07/25/human-rights-watch-ukrainian-forces-are-rocketing-civilians/ Human Rights Watch: Ukrainian forces are rocketing civilians]". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. 25 July 2014.</ref> ''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.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Tavernise |first1=Sabrina |last2=Sneider |first2=Noah |date=28 July 2014 |title=Enmity and Civilian Toll Rise in Ukraine While Attention Is Diverted |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/29/world/europe/civilian-death-toll-rise-in-ukraine.html |access-date=29 July 2014}}</ref> By early January 2015, the number of deaths caused by the war had risen to 4,707, despite the signing of the [[Minsk Protocol]] in early September 2014.<ref name="UN14JAN">{{Cite press release |title=UN strongly deplores civilian deaths as Ukraine fighting continues |date=14 January 2015 |publisher=United Nations News Centre |url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=49794 |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Remains of an Eastern Orthodox church after shelling near Donetsk International Airport.jpg|thumb|left|Ruins of the [[Iversky Monastery (Donetsk)|Iversky Monastery]] near Donetsk airport, May 2015]]
=== Displaced population ===
By early August 2014, at least 730,000 had fled fighting in the Donbas and left for Russia.<ref name="unhcr-refugees">{{Cite news |date=5 August 2014 |title=About 730,000 have left Ukraine for Russia due to conflict – UNHCR |work=Reuters |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-migrants-idINKBN0G517P20140805 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> This number, much larger than earlier estimates, was given by the [[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]] (UNHCR). The number of internal refugees rose to 117,000.<ref name="unhcr-refugees" /> By the start of September, after a sharp escalation over the course of August, the number of people displaced from Donbas within Ukraine more than doubled to 260,000.<ref name="OHCR2sept">{{Cite press release |title=Number of displaced inside Ukraine more than doubles since early August to 260,000 |date=2 September 2014 |publisher=United Nations High Commission for Refugees |url=http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/number-displaced-inside-ukraine-more-doubles-early-august-260000 |access-date=2 September 2014}}</ref> The number of temporary asylum seekers and refugee applicants from Ukraine in Russia rose to 121,000.<ref name="BBC29035">{{Cite news |date=2 September 2014 |title=UN says million people have fled |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29029060 |access-date=2 September 2014}}</ref> Despite two months of a shaky ceasefire established by the [[Minsk Protocol]], the number of refugees displaced from Donbas in Ukraine escalated sharply to 466,829 in mid November.<ref name="20NOV2014">{{Cite press release |title=Serious human rights violations persist in eastern Ukraine despite tenuous ceasefire |date=20 November 2014 |publisher=United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights |url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true&LangID=E |access-date=20 November 2014}}</ref>
By April 2015, the war had caused at least 1.3 million people to become [[Internally displaced person|internally displaced]] within Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Allison Quinn |date=25 June 2015 |title=UN refugee head confronts Ukraine's atypical challenge |work=[[Kyiv Post]] |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv-post-plus/un-refugee-head-confronts-ukraines-atypical-challenge-392051.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626044739/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv-post-plus/un-refugee-head-confronts-ukraines-atypical-challenge-392051.html |archive-date=26 June 2015}}</ref> In addition, more than 800,000 Ukrainians had sought asylum, residence permits, or other forms of legal stay in neighbouring countries, with over 659,143 in Russia, 81,100 in Belarus, and thousands more elsewhere.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 April 2015 |title=Ukraine crisis has created more than 2 million refugees, UN reports |agency=euronews.com |url=http://www.euronews.com/2015/04/22/ukraine-crisis-has-created-more-than-2-million-refugees-un-reports/ |access-date=28 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs|date=17 April 2015|title=Ukraine: Situation report No.36|url=https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ocha_ukraine_situation_report_36_-_17_april_2015.pdf|access-date=2021-06-22}}</ref>
According to another report by the UN OHCHR, over 3 million people continued to live in the Donbas conflict zone as of March 2016.<ref name="OHCHR232">{{Cite book |url=http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/Ukraine_13th_HRMMU_Report_3March2016.pdf |title=Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine 16 November 2015 to 15 February 2016 |date=3 March 2016 |publisher=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |access-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> This was said to include 2.7 million who lived in DPR and LPR-controlled areas, and 200,000 in Ukrainian-controlled areas adjacent to the line of contact. In addition, the Ukrainian government was said to have registered a total of 1.6 million internally displaced people within Ukraine who had fled the conflict. Over 1 million were reported to have sought asylum elsewhere, with most having gone to Russia.<ref name="OHCHR232" /> The report also said that people that lived in separatist-controlled areas were experiencing "complete absence of rule of law, reports of arbitrary detention, torture and incommunicado detention, and no access to real redress mechanisms".<ref name="OHCHR232" /><ref name="UNew24">{{Cite press release |title=Ukraine: growing despair among over three million civilians in conflict zone – UN report |date=3 March 2016 |publisher=United Nations |url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53359 |access-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>
By November 2017, the UN had identified 1.8 million internally displaced and conflict-affected persons in Ukraine, while another 427,240 who had sought asylum or refugee status in the Russian Federation, plus 11,230 in Italy, 10,495 in Germany, 8,380 in Spain, and 4,595 in Poland.<ref>UN High Commissioner for Refugees, "[https://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-unhcr-operational-update-01-30-november-2017 Ukraine: UNHCR Operational Update, 01–30 November 2017]", 15 December 2017.</ref>
As consequence of the conflict, large swathes of the Donbas region, on both sides of the "contact line", have become contaminated with landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW)<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-04-04|title=Ukraine's desperate attempt to defuse landmines – as more are planted|url=http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/apr/04/ukraine-attempt-defuse-landmines-as-more-are-planted|access-date=2022-02-02|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref>. According to the UN [[Humanitarian Coordinator]] in Ukraine, in 2020 Ukraine was of one of the most mine-affected countries in the world, with nearly 1,200 mine/ERW casualties since the beginning of the conflict in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|date=5 April 2021|title=Landmines Still Pose a Threat to Two Million Ukrainians|url=https://ukraine.un.org/en/123917-landmines-still-pose-threat-two-million-ukrainians|access-date=2 February 2022|website=United Nations Ukraine}}</ref> A report by [[UNICEF]] released in December 2019 said that 172 children had been injured or killed due to landmines and other explosives, over 750 educational facilities had been damaged or destroyed, and 430,000 children lived with psychological traumas associated with war.<ref>{{Cite web|title=430,000 children continue to bear the brunt of eastern Ukraine conflict|url=https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/430000-children-continue-bear-brunt-eastern-ukraine-conflict|access-date=2022-02-02|website=www.unicef.org|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Children endure deadly legacy of landmines in eastern Ukraine|url=https://www.unicef.org/ukraine/en/stories/children-endure-deadly-legacy-landmines-eastern-ukraine|access-date=2022-02-02|website=www.unicef.org|language=en}}</ref>
== Reactions ==
===International reactions===
{{Main|International reactions to the war in Donbas}}
[[File:Secretary Kerry Joins President Obama for Meeting With Ukrainian President Poroshenko Before NATO Summit in Wales (14950820747).jpg|thumb|Ukrainian President [[Petro Poroshenko|Poroshenko]] speaks with [[Barack Obama]] and other Western leaders during the [[2014 Wales summit|NATO Summit in Newport]], 4 September 2014]]
=== Ukrainian public opinion ===
[[File:2014-08-26. «Сичь» отправляется на войну 035.JPG|thumb|Residents of [[Kyiv]] with [[Svoboda (political party)|Svoboda]] founded [[Sich Battalion]] soldiers, 26 August 2014]]
A poll of the Ukrainian public, excluding Russian-annexed [[Crimea]], was taken by the [[International Republican Institute]] from 12 to 25 September 2014.<ref name="IRI14OCT">Press release: {{Cite press release |title=IRI: Ukraine Pre-election Poll Shows Strong Opposition to Russian Aggression, Support for Kyiv Government |date=14 October 2014 |publisher=International Republican Institute |url=http://www.iri.org/news-events-press-center/news/iri-ukraine-pre-election-poll-shows-strong-opposition-russian-aggressi |access-date=17 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016232411/http://www.iri.org/news-events-press-center/news/iri-ukraine-pre-election-poll-shows-strong-opposition-russian-aggressi |archive-date=16 October 2014}}<br />Full text: {{Cite web |date=14 October 2014 |title=Public Opinion Survey – Residents of Ukraine: 12–25 September 2014 |url=http://www.iri.org/sites/default/files/2014%20October%2014%20Survey%20of%20Residents%20of%20Ukraine%2C%20September%2012-25%2C%202014.pdf |access-date=17 October 2014 |publisher=International Republican Institute}}</ref> 89% of those polled opposed [[2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine|Russian intervention in Ukraine]]. As broken down by region, 78% of those polled from [[Eastern Ukraine]] (including [[Dnipropetrovsk Oblast]]) opposed said intervention, along with 89% in [[Southern Ukraine]], 93% in [[Central Ukraine]], and 99% in [[Western Ukraine]].<ref name="IRI14OCT" /> As broken down by native language, 79% of Russian speakers and 95% of Ukrainian speakers opposed the intervention. 80% of those polled said that Ukraine should remain a [[Unitary state|unitary]] country.<ref name="IRI14OCT" /> 56% of those polled said that Russia should pay for the reconstruction of the Donbas, whereas 32% said Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts should pay. 59% of those polled said that they supported the government military operation in Donbas, whereas 33% said that they opposed it. 73% of respondents said that the war in Donbas was one of the three most important issues facing Ukraine.<ref name="IRI14OCT" />
A poll conducted by the same institute in 2017 (excluding occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas) showed that an overwhelming majority of Ukrainians believe that the separatist republics should remain as part of Ukraine. The survey contained an over sample of respondents from the Ukrainian-controlled areas of the Donbas, a majority of whom also affirmed their wish for the entire region to stay in Ukraine. The survey results showed that 80% of Ukrainians nationally and 73% of people living in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts supported that the separatist-controlled areas should remain part of Ukraine. Around 60% of the people polled did not believe Ukraine is doing enough to regain the lost territories because of the Minsk agreements.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 June 2017 |title=Ukraine Poll: Majority Want Donbas to Remain in Ukraine |url=http://www.iri.org/resource/ukraine-poll-majority-want-donbas-remain-ukraine |access-date=29 December 2017 |website=iri.org}}</ref>
=== Labelling of the conflict ===
The understanding of the nature of the conflict in Donbas has evolved over time.
[[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO]] said in July 2014 that it considered the conflict a war with Russian [[Irregular troops|irregulars]],<ref name="defencedad">{{Cite press release |title=Russian Actions Bring Europe to Decisive Point |date=30 June 2014 |publisher=American Forces Press Service |url=http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=122576 |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713152755/http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=122576 |archive-date=13 July 2014}}</ref> and others considered it to be a war between Russian proxies and Ukraine.<ref name="FTintal">{{Cite news |date=17 July 2014 |title=Nato must focus on the 'hybrid wars' being waged on the west |work=Financial Times |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/3192c7a0-0cd2-11e4-bf1e-00144feabdc0.html |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref> The [[International Committee of the Red Cross]] described the events in the Donbas region as a "non-international armed conflict" in July 2014.<ref name="reuterswar">{{Cite news |last=Miles |first=Tom |date=22 July 2014 |title=Ukraine war crimes trials a step closer after Red Cross assessment |work=Reuters |location=Geneva |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-warcrimes-idUSKBN0FR0V920140722 |url-status=unfit |access-date=22 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123081443/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-warcrimes-idUSKBN0FR0V920140722 |archive-date=23 January 2016}}</ref><ref name="IClaw">{{Cite press release |title=Ukraine: ICRC calls on all sides to respect international humanitarian law |date=23 July 2014 |publisher=International Committee of the Red Cross |url=https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2014/07-23-ukraine-kiev-call-respect-ihl-repatriate-bodies-malaysian-airlines.htm |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref> Some news agencies, such as the [[Information Telegraph Agency of Russia]] and [[Reuters]], interpreted this statement as meaning that Ukraine was in a state of "[[civil war]]".<ref name="ITcw">{{Cite news |title=Red Cross admits Ukraine is in a state of civil war |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/742051 |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref> Following the August 2014 invasion by Russian forces, in early September 2014, [[Amnesty International]] said that it considered the war to be "international", as opposed to "non-international".<ref name="AI7SEPT" /> Secretary General of Amnesty International [[Salil Shetty]] said that "satellite images, coupled with reports of Russian troops captured inside Ukraine and eyewitness accounts of Russian troops and military vehicles rolling across the border leave no doubt that this is now an international armed conflict".<ref name="AI7SEPT">{{Cite press release |title=Mounting evidence of war crimes and Russian involvement |date=7 September 2014 |publisher=Amnesty International |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/press-releases/2014/09/ukraine-mounting-evidence-war-crimes-and-russian-involvement/ |access-date=7 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704120250/http://www.amnesty.org/en/press-releases/2014/09/ukraine-mounting-evidence-war-crimes-and-russian-involvement/ |archive-date=4 July 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The conflict has also been classified as part of a "[[Hybrid warfare|hybrid war]]" waged by Russia against Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 September 2014 |title=In Defense of Conspirology: A Rejoinder to Serhiy Kudelia's Anti-Political Analysis of the Hybrid War in Eastern Ukraine |url=http://www.ponarseurasia.org/article/defense-conspirology-rejoinder-serhiy-kudelias-anti-political-analysis-hybrid-war-eastern |publisher=PONARS Eurasia}}</ref>
Until early 2015, the [[European Union]] tended to label the participants of the conflict as "foreign armed formations" or Russia-supported separatists. After the delivery of an IntCen classified report by the end of January 2015, the official EU documents started labelling them openly as "Russian troops in Ukraine".<ref>{{Cite web |title=EU breaks taboo on 'Russian forces in Ukraine' |url=https://euobserver.com/foreign/127667 |access-date=19 February 2016 |website=EUobserver}}</ref>
A 2015 paper released by the [[Royal United Services Institute]] and a 2017 report by the [[RAND Corporation]] document how the conflict evolved from a localised proxy conflict in its early stages to a hybrid war between Russian and Ukraine, and then to a limited conventional war with the August 2014 direct invasion by Russian troops.<ref name="RUSIma2015" /><ref name="de" />
[[Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada]] [[Oleksandr Turchynov]] said in June 2014 that he considered the conflict a direct war with [[Russia]].<ref name="IBua">{{Cite news |date=27 June 2014 |title=Александр Турчинов: "При вторжении со стороны Чернигова, русские танки уже через пару часов могли быть в Киеве" (Alexander Turchinov: "With the invasion from the Chernihiv direction, Russian tanks in a couple of hours could be in Kyiv") |language=ru |publisher=LB.ua |url=http://lb.ua/news/2014/06/27/271204_aleksandr_turchinov_pri_vtorzhenii.html |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref> According to Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]], the war will be known in history of Ukraine as the "Patriotic War".<ref>[http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/08/24/7035656/ Poroshenko: this war will enter the history as Patriotic]. [[Ukrayinska Pravda]]. 24 August 2014</ref>
According to a [[VTSIOM]] survey taken in August 2014, 59% of the Russian citizens polled viewed the war in Donbas as a civil war. Most of those polled said that direct war with Ukraine was either "absolutely impossible" or "extremely unlikely". 28% said that such a conflict could happen in the future.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 2015 |title=The Ukraine Invasion and Public Opinion |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332798454}}</ref>
In December 2021 the French journal 'Le Monde' analyzed a shift in the Russian diplomatic label on the conflict. It was no longer about Ukraine membership in NATO, but about NATO expansion in Ukraine. [https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2021/12/06/les-options-limitees-de-washington-face-aux-man-uvres-de-la-russie-au-seuil-de-l-ukraine_6104848_3210.html Before Biden Putin summit of December 2021]
== See also ==
{{Portal|Current events|Russia|Ukraine|War}}
* [[Women in the War in Donbas]]
* [[December 2015 Ukraine power grid cyberattack]]
* [[2017 cyberattacks on Ukraine]]
* [[Little green men (Ukrainian crisis)]]
* [[List of rebel groups that control territory]]
* [[Enlargement of NATO#German reunification|NATO Enlargement, German reunification and relations with Russia]]
== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Bowen|first=Andrew|year=2017|title=Coercive Diplomacy and the Donbas: Explaining Russian Strategy in Eastern Ukraine|journal=Journal of Strategic Studies|volume=42|issue=3–4|pages=312–343|doi=10.1080/01402390.2017.1413550|s2cid=158522112}}
* [https://journals.macewan.ca/shcsjournal/article/view/278 Ivanov, O. (2016). Social Background of the Military Conflict in Ukraine: Regional cleavages and geopolitical orientations. Social, Health, And Communication Studies Journal, 2(1), 52–73. Retrieved 26 June 2017.]
* [http://www.osce.org/odihr/118476?download=true 12 May 2014 report on human rights and minority rights situation in Ukraine] by the [[OSCE]] Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
* [http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/Ukraine_Report_15July2014.pdf 15 July 2014 Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine] by the [[OHCHR]]
* [https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/08/28/ukraine-rebel-forces-detain-torture-civilians 28 August 2014 report on claims of war crimes by the insurgents] in Donbas by [[Human Rights Watch]]
* [http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/OHCHR_seventh_reportUkraine20.11.14.pdf 15 November 2014 Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine] by the [[OHCHR]]
* [http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/9thOHCHRreportUkraine.pdf#sthash.HFQs2pv2.dpuf 1 December 2014 to 15 February 2015 Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine] by the [[OHCHR]]
{{Russian intervention in Ukraine}}
{{War in Donbas}}
{{Post-Cold War European conflicts}}
{{Ongoing military conflicts}}
{{Politics of Ukraine footer}}
{{Ukraine topics}}
[[Category:War in Donbas| ]]
[[Category:2010s in Ukraine]]
[[Category:2020s in Ukraine]]
[[Category:2010s conflicts]]
[[Category:2020s conflicts]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2014]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2015]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2016]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2017]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2018]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2019]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2020]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2021]]
[[Category:Donbas]]
[[Category:History of Donetsk Oblast]]
[[Category:History of Luhansk Oblast]]
[[Category:Ongoing conflicts]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2022]]
[[Category:Wars involving Russia]]
[[Category:Wars involving Ukraine]]
[[Category:Separatist rebellion-based civil wars]]
[[Category:Russo-Ukrainian War|*]]
[[Category:Russian–Ukrainian wars]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext) | '{{short description|Ongoing armed conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine}}
{{about|the ongoing armed conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine|the broader Russian military intervention|Russo-Ukrainian War}}
{{pp-move-indef}}{{use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{use British English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict =
| partof = the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]]
| image = [[File:Map of the war in Donbass.svg|frameless|upright=1.35]]
| caption = Military situation in February 2022: Pink highlights areas held by the DPR/LPR, yellow highlights areas held by the Ukrainian government.
| date = {{start date|df= yes|2014|04|06}} – present<br />({{age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=04|day1=06|year1=2014}})
| place = [[Donbas]], and the [[Donetsk Oblast|Donetsk]] and [[Luhansk Oblast|Luhansk]] [[Oblasts of Ukraine|oblasts]] of Ukraine
| coordinates =
| map_type =
| map_relief =
| latitude =
| longitude =
| map_size =
| map_marksize =
| map_caption =
| map_label =
| territory =
| result =
| status = [[List of ongoing armed conflicts|Stalemate]]
* Separatists take control of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts
** [[Russian military intervention in Ukraine (2014–present)]]
* [[Minsk Protocol]] ceasefire signed on 5 September 2014<ref name="Peace">{{Cite news |date=5 September 2014 |title=Ukraine and pro-Russia rebels sign ceasefire deal |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29082574 |access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref>
* [[Minsk II]] ceasefire came into effect on 15 February 2015
* Renewed attempt to implement Minsk II on 1 September 2015<ref name="MIIreS16">{{Cite news |last=Gibbons-Neff |first=Thomas |date=3 September 2015|title=Three-day-old ceasefire in Ukraine broken as fighting resumes in some areas |newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/09/03/three-day-old-ceasefire-in-ukraine-broken-as-fighting-resumes-in-some-areas/ |access-date=29 December 2017}}</ref>
* [[2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis|Increased tension and heightened escalation between Ukraine and Russia]], beginning in 2021 and continuing in 2022
* Official recognition of DPR and LPR by Russia on 21 February 2022 and by Syria on 22 February 2022
| combatants_header =
| combatant1 = {{flag|Ukraine}}
| combatant2 = {{ubl|{{flag|Donetsk People's Republic}}|{{flag|Luhansk People's Republic}}}}<hr>{{flag|Russia}}{{refn|group=note|name=Denied|See the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]].}}<ref>{{cite news |date=24 April 2018 |title=PACE officially recognizes occupied areas in Donbas as 'effectively controlled' by Russia |publisher=Unian.info |url=https://www.unian.info/politics/10092899-pace-officially-recognizes-russia-s-occupation-of-donbas.html |access-date=27 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=24 April 2017 |title=Ukraine vs Russia: The ICJ's Court Decision, Examined |url=https://en.hromadske.ua/posts/ukraine-vs-russia-the-icjs-court-decision-examined |access-date=27 April 2018 |publisher=en.hromadske.ua}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=22 May 2015 |title=Ukraine: Breaking Bodies: Torture and Summary Killings in Eastern Ukraine |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur50/1683/2015/en/ |access-date=20 May 2018 |publisher=Amnesty International |page=10 |quote=Sustained fighting erupted in eastern Ukraine that summer, amidst compelling evidence of Russian military involvement.}}</ref>
| units1 = {{flagicon|Ukraine}} '''Ukraine'''<br />
[[Armed Forces of Ukraine|Armed Forces]]
* [[Ukrainian Ground Forces|Ground Forces]]
** [[Aidar Battalion]]
** [[Territorial defence battalion (Ukraine)|Territorial defence battalions]]
* [[Special Operations Forces (Ukraine)|Special Operations Forces]]
[[Security Service of Ukraine|Security Service]]
* [[Alpha Group (Ukraine)|Alpha Group]]
[[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)|Internal Affairs Ministry]]
* [[National Guard of Ukraine|National Guard]]
* [[Azov Battalion]]
* [[Dnipro Battalion]]
* [[Donbas Battalion]]
* [[Georgian National Legion]]
* [[Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion]]
* [[Right Sector]]
* [[Special Tasks Patrol Police (Ukraine)|Special Police]]
* [[Noman Çelebicihan Battalion]]
[[State Border Guard Service of Ukraine|State Border Guard]]<br />
''[[Combatants of the war in Donbas#Pro-government paramilitaries|Others]]''<ref name="fivb">
*{{cite news |last=Olena Goncharova |date=18 October 2015 |title=Foreign fighters struggle for legal status in Ukraine |work=[[Kyiv Post]] |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/foreign-fighters-struggle-for-legal-status-in-ukraine-400182.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018173857/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/foreign-fighters-struggle-for-legal-status-in-ukraine-400182.html |archive-date=18 October 2015}}
*{{Cite news |date=19 October 2015 |title=Foreign nationals fighting for Ukraine in Donbas demand passports in exchange for their service |agency=[[Ukraine Today]] |url=http://uatoday.tv/society/foreign-nationals-fighting-for-ukraine-in-donbas-demand-passports-in-exchange-for-their-service-516210.html |access-date=26 October 2015}}
*{{cite magazine |last=Nolan Peterson |date=4 August 2015 |title=Why a Russian Is Fighting for Ukraine |url=http://www.newsweek.com/why-russian-fighting-ukraine-320723 |magazine=[[Newsweek]] |access-date=26 October 2015}}
*{{Cite news |date=19 October 2015 |title=They Came to Fight for Ukraine. Now They're Stuck in No Man's Land |work=[[Foreign Policy]] |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/10/19/ukraines-abandoned-soldiers-russian-belarusian-volunteers/ |access-date=26 October 2015}}
*{{Cite news |last=Megrelidze |first=Sophiko |date=23 January 2015 |title=Georgians in Ukraine fight shadow war |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/27f1501df4204a3b83e41a38b54bceff}}</ref>
| units2 = {{flagicon|Donetsk People's Republic}}{{flagicon|Luhansk People's Republic}} '''[[Russian separatist forces in Donbas|Pro-Russian separatists]]'''<br />
[[Separatist forces of the war in Donbas#Structure|DPR Armed Forces]]
* [[Combatants of the war in Donbas#Vostok Battalion|Vostok Brigade]]
* [[Combatants of the war in Donbas|1st Sloviansk Brigade]]
* [[Kalmius Brigade]]
* [[Sparta Battalion]]
* [[Somalia Battalion]]
* [[Republican Guard (Donetsk People's Republic)|Republican Guard]]
* [[Russian Orthodox Army]]
* [[Chetniks#Ukraine|Serbian Chetniks]]<ref>{{cite web |date=14 August 2014 |title=Serbian mercenaries fighting in eastern Ukraine |url=http://www.dw.com/en/serbian-mercenaries-fighting-in-eastern-ukraine/a-17855479 |publisher=Deutsche Welle}}</ref>
[[Separatist forces of the war in Donbas#Structure|LPR People's Militia]]
* [[Prizrak Brigade]]
* Zarya Battalion
* 4th Separate Tank Battalion "August"
* [[Separatist forces of the war in Donbas#Structure|6th Separate Cossack Motorized Rifle Regiment]]
* [[Interbrigades|National Bolshevik Interbrigades]]
----
{{flagicon|Russia}} '''Russia'''
* [[Russian Armed Forces]]{{refn|group=note|name=Denied}}
* [[Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation]]<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Shuster|first=Simon|title=Meet the Cossack 'Wolves' Doing Russia's Dirty Work in Ukraine |url=http://time.com/95898/wolves-hundred-ukraine-russia-cossack/|magazine=Time|accessdate=28 August 2021}}</ref>
* [[Chechens|Chechen]] [[Kadyrovtsy]]<ref>{{cite web |date=8 May 2015 |title=Suspicions abound as Chechen fighters make mysterious exit from Donbas battlefield |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv-post-plus/suspicions-abound-as-chechen-fighters-make-mysterious-exit-from-donbas-battlefield-388012.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509155417/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv-post-plus/suspicions-abound-as-chechen-fighters-make-mysterious-exit-from-donbas-battlefield-388012.html |archive-date=9 May 2015 |access-date=2 June 2015 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref>
* [[Wagner Group]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Iasynskyi |first=Stanislav |date=19 October 2017 |title=Wagner mercenaries: what we know about Putin's private army in Donbas |url=http://euromaidanpress.com/2017/10/19/wagner-mercenaries-what-we-know-about-putins-private-army-in-donbas/ |access-date=27 April 2018 |publisher=Euromaidanpress.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=4 November 2017 |title=Ukraine names over 150 mercenaries from 'Putin's private army' fighting in Ukraine and Syria |url=http://euromaidanpress.com/2017/11/04/ukraines-special-service-shares-more-data-on-the-militants-of-russian-wagner-private-military-group-operating-in-donbas-and-syria/ |access-date=27 April 2018 |publisher=Euromaidanpress.com}}</ref>
* [[Russian National Unity#In Ukraine|RNU Volunteer Units]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ukraine-crisis-who-are-russian-neo-nazi-groups-fighting-separatists-1463489|title = Ukraine Crisis: Who Are the Russian Neo-Nazi Groups Fighting with Separatists?|date = September 2014}}</ref>
* [[Eurasian Youth Union|Eurasian Youth volunteers]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-far-right-nationalists-train-kids-to-fight-in-war-camps/|title=Russian far-right nationalists train kids to fight in 'war camps'|website=[[CBS News]]}}</ref>
* [[Night Wolves]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/25/poland-anti-russian-night-wolves-zaldostanov-motorcyclists-red-army|title = Poland's stance is 'anti-Russian hysteria', says Night Wolves leader|work = [[The Guardian]]|date = 25 April 2015}}</ref>
* [[Combatants of the war in Donbas#Volunteers from other countries|Moldovan mercenaries]]<ref>{{cite web |date=14 April 2018 |title=Moldova Identifies Dozens of Fighters in Ukraine |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2018/04/24/moldovan-mercenaries-join-military-ranks-in-donbas-04-23-2018/}}</ref>
* [[Combatants of the war in Donbas#Ossetian and Abkhaz paramilitaries|Ossetian and Abkhaz paramilitaries]]
| combatant3 =
| commander1 = {{ubl|{{flagdeco|Ukraine}} [[Volodymyr Zelensky]]<br />(2019–present)|{{flagdeco|Ukraine}} [[Petro Poroshenko]]<br />(2014–2019)|{{flagdeco|Ukraine}} [[Oleksandr Turchynov]]<br />(2014)|{{flagdeco|Ukraine}} [[Denys Shmyhal]]}}
----
[[File:Flag of Donetsk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Pavlo Kyrylenko]] (current)
{{collapsible list
| bullets = yes
| title = [[Governor of Donetsk Oblast]] (full list)
|[[File:Flag of Donetsk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Serhiy Taruta]] (2014)
|[[File:Flag of Donetsk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Oleksandr Kikhtenko]] (2014–2015)
|[[File:Flag of Donetsk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Pavlo Zhebrivskyi]] (2015–2018)
|[[File:Flag of Donetsk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Oleksandr Kuts]] (2018–2019)
}}
[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Serhiy Haidai]] (current)
{{collapsible list
| bullets = yes
| title = [[Governor of Luhansk Oblast]] (full list)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Mykhailo Bolotskykh]] (2014)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] Iryna Verihina (2014; as acting governor)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Hennadiy Moskal]] (2014–2015)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Heorhiy Tuka]] (2015–2016)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] [[Yuriy Harbuz]] (2016–2018)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] Serhiy Fil (2018–2019; as acting governor)
|[[File:Flag of Luhansk Oblast.svg|24px]] Vitaliy Komarnytskyi (2019)
}}
| commander2 = '''In DNR'''{{ubl|{{flagicon|Donetsk People's Republic}} [[Denis Pushilin]]<br />(2018–present)|{{flagicon|Donetsk People's Republic}} [[Dmitry Trapeznikov]]<br />(August–September 2018)|{{nowrap|{{flagicon|Donetsk People's Republic}} [[Alexander Zakharchenko]]}}<br />(2014–2018)|{{flagicon|Russia}} [[Alexander Borodai]]<br />(2014)|{{flagicon|Russia}} [[Igor Girkin]]<br />(2014)|{{flagicon|Donetsk People's Republic}} [[Pavel Gubarev]]<br />(2014)}}
'''In LNR'''{{ubl|{{flagicon|Luhansk People's Republic}} [[Leonid Pasechnik]]<br />(2017–present)|{{flagicon|Luhansk People's Republic}} [[Igor Plotnitsky]]<br />(2014–2017)|{{flagicon|Luhansk People's Republic}} [[Valery Bolotov]]<br />(2014)|{{flagicon|Luhansk People's Republic}} [[Sergey Kozlov (politician)|Sergey Kozlov]]<br />(2015–present)}}
----
'''In Russia'''{{ubl|{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Vladimir Putin]]{{refn|group=note|name=Denied}}|{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Mikhail Mishustin]]{{refn|group=note|name=Denied}}}}
| commander3 =
| strength1 = 64,000 troops<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 July 2015 |title=Probability of full-scale Russian invasion remains high – Ukrainian army general |agency=Ukraine Today |url=http://24today.net/open/484721 |url-status=dead |access-date=29 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228171239/http://24today.net/open/484721 |archive-date=28 February 2017}}</ref>
| strength2 = {{ubl|40,000–45,000 fighters<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 June 2015 |title=Pro-Russian rebels have 40,000-strong army, sufficient for 'mid-sized European state': Ukraine defence minister |work=ABC AU |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-09/ukrainian-rebels-have-army-the-size-of-small-european-state/6530828 |access-date=26 June 2015}}</ref>|3,000–4,000 Russian volunteers<ref>[http://tass.ru/en/world/747005 "Around 3–4 thousand Russian volunteers fighting for Donetsk People's Republic militia"]. Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. 28 August 2014</ref>|9,000–12,000 regular Russian soldiers (Ukraine and United States estimate)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kyiv Says 42,500 Rebels, Russian Soldiers Stationed in East Ukraine |url=http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russian-troops-fighting-poltorak/27059578.html |access-date=25 June 2015 |website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=3 March 2015 |title=Some 12,000 Russian soldiers in Ukraine supporting rebels: U.S. commander |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-russia-soldiers/some-12000-russian-soldiers-in-ukraine-supporting-rebels-u-s-commander-idUSKBN0LZ2FV20150303 |access-date=3 March 2015}}</ref>}}
| strength3 =
| casualties1 = {{ubl|4,629 killed<ref name="memory" /><ref name="memory1" />|70 missing<ref name="70missing">{{Cite news |date=6 September 2019 |title=UNIAN: 70 missing soldiers officially reported over years of war in Donbas |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/unian-70-missing-soldiers-officially-reported-over-years-of-war-in-donbas.html |access-date=6 September 2019}}</ref>|9,700–10,700 wounded<ref name="OHCHR">{{cite web |url= https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-oon-kst-gertv-boyovyh-donbas/31110937.html |title= ООН підрахувала кількість жертв бойових дій на Донбасі |work= [[Radio Liberty]] |date= 19 February 2021 |access-date= 19 February 2021}}</ref>}}
| casualties2 = {{ubl|5,772 killed{{Ref label|killed|*}}<ref name="OHCHR" /><ref>
*[http://eng.ombudsman-dnr.ru/the-overview-of-the-current-social-and-humanitarian-situation-in-the-territory-of-the-donetsk-peoples-republic-as-a-result-of-hostilities-between-23-and-29-january-2021/ The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic as a result of hostilities between 23 and 29 January 2021]
*[http://eng.ombudsman-dnr.ru/the-overview-of-the-current-social-and-humanitarian-situation-in-the-territory-of-the-donetsk-peoples-republic-as-a-result-of-hostilities-between-25-and-30-december-2021/ The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities between 25 and 30 December 2021]
*[https://eng.ombudsman-dnr.ru/the-overview-of-the-current-social-and-humanitarian-situation-in-the-territory-of-the-donetsk-peoples-republic-as-a-result-of-hostilities-from-05-to-11-february-2022/ The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities from 05 to 11 February 2022]</ref>|12,700–13,700 wounded<ref name="OHCHR" />}}
| casualties3 = {{ubl|3,393 civilians killed (349 in 2016–2021)<ref name="civilians">[https://ukraine.un.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Conflict-related%20civilian%20casualties%20as%20of%2030%20September%202021%20%28rev%208%20Oct%202021%29%20EN.pdf Conflict-related civilian casualties in Ukraine]</ref>|13,100–13,300 killed; 29,500–33,500 wounded overall<ref name="OHCHR" />|414,798 Ukrainians internally displaced; 925,500 fled abroad<ref name="OCHA1482015">{{Cite web |date=August 2015 |title=Ukraine |url=http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ocha_ukraine_situation_update_number_7_14_august_2015.pdf |access-date=15 September 2015 |website=OCHA |issue=Situation update No. 7 as of 14 August 2015}}</ref>}}
| notes = {{Note label|killed|*}} Includes 400–500 Russian servicemen (per the [[United States Department of State]], March 2015)<ref name="Bellal2016">{{Cite book |last=Bellal |first=Annyssa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IfX8CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA302 |title=The War Report: Armed Conflict in 2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-19-876606-3 |page=302 |access-date=17 October 2016}}</ref>
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Ukrainian crisis}}{{Campaignbox Post-Soviet conflicts}}
}}<!-- ============================= End right floating templates ============================= -->
The '''war of the Dumbass''', or the '''Donbas War''', is an armed conflict in the [[Donbas]] region of [[Ukraine]], part of the broader [[Russo-Ukrainian War]]. From the beginning of March 2014, in the aftermath of the [[2014 Ukrainian revolution]] and the [[Euromaidan]] movement, protests by pro-russian, anti-government [[separatist]] groups took place in the [[Donetsk Oblast|Donetsk]] and [[Luhansk Oblast|Luhansk]] [[oblasts]] of Ukraine, collectively called the Donbas region. These demonstrations, which followed the February–March 2014 [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexation of Crimea]] by the Russian Federation, and which were part of a wider group of [[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine|concurrent protests]] across southern and eastern Ukraine, escalated into an armed conflict between the separatist forces of the self-declared [[Donetsk People's Republic|Donetsk]] and [[Luhansk People's Republic|Luhansk]] People's Republics (DPR and LPR, respectively), and the [[Government of Ukraine|Ukrainian government]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Grytsenko |first=Oksana |date=12 April 2014 |title=Armed pro-Russian insurgents in Luhansk say they are ready for police raid |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/armed-pro-russian-insurgents-in-luhansk-say-they-are-ready-for-police-raid-343167.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412131249/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/armed-pro-russian-insurgents-in-luhansk-say-they-are-ready-for-police-raid-343167.html |archive-date=12 April 2014}}</ref> While the initial protests were largely native expressions of discontent with the new Ukrainian government, Russia took advantage of them to launch a co-ordinated political and military campaign against Ukraine.<ref name="de">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=33–34 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref> Russian citizens led the separatist movement in Donetsk from April until August 2014, and were supported by volunteers and [[materiel]] from Russia.<ref name="de2" /><ref name="jamestown-20140815">[https://jamestown.org/program/strelkovgirkin-demoted-transnistrian-siloviki-strengthened-in-donetsk-peoples-republic/#.U-8Yxdr3-yw Strelkov/Girkin Demoted, Transnistrian Siloviki Strengthened in 'Donetsk People's Republic'], [[Vladimir Socor]], [[Jamestown Foundation]], 15 August 2014</ref><ref name="REUeuada">{{Cite news |date=27 July 2014 |title=Pushing locals aside, Russians take top rebel posts in east Ukraine |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-rebels-insight-idUSKBN0FW07020140727 |access-date=27 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728013327/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/27/us-ukraine-crisis-rebels-insight-idUSKBN0FW07020140727 |archive-date=28 July 2014}}</ref> As the conflict escalated in May 2014, Russia employed a "[[Hybrid warfare|hybrid]] approach", deploying a combination of disinformation tactics, irregular fighters, regular Russian troops, and conventional military support to destabilise the Donbas region.<ref name="de3">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=69 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref><ref name="Fedorov">{{Cite book |last=Fedorov |first=Yury E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7vODDwAAQBAJ&q=%2522Russian+invasion+of+ukraine%2522 |title=Routledge Handbook of Russian Security |date=15 January 2019 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-18122-8 |language=en |chapter=Russia's 'Hybrid' Aggression Against Ukraine}}</ref><ref name="karber2">{{Cite report |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316122469 |title="Lessons Learned" from the Russo-Ukrainian War |last=Karber |first=Phillip A. |date=29 September 2015 |publisher=The Potomac Foundation |page=34}}</ref>
Ukraine launched a military counter-offensive against pro-Russian forces in April 2014, called the "Anti-Terrorist Operation" (ATO) from 2014 until 2018, when it was renamed the "Joint Forces Operation" (JFO).<ref name="Katchanovski2016">{{Cite journal |last=Katchanovski |first=Ivan |date=1 October 2016 |title=The Separatist War in Donbas: A Violent Break-up of Ukraine? |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299383810 |journal=European Politics and Society |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=473–489 |doi=10.1080/23745118.2016.1154131 |issn=2374-5118 |s2cid=155890093}}</ref>{{Rp|4}}<ref name="eujfa2">{{Cite news |date=4 May 2018 |title=Old war, new rules: what comes next as ATO ends and a new operation starts in Donbas? |language=en-US |publisher=Ukraine crisis media centre |url=https://uacrisis.org/en/66558-joint-forces-operation |access-date=22 July 2020}}</ref> By late August 2014, this operation was able to vastly shrink the territory under the control of pro-Russian forces and came close to regaining control of the [[Russia–Ukraine border]].<ref name="de4">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=44 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref> In response, Russia abandoned its hybrid approach and began a conventional invasion of the Donbas.<ref name=de4/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Snyder |first=Timothy |title=The road to unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America |isbn=978-0-525-57446-0 |edition=First |location=New York, NY |pages=191 |oclc=1029484935}}</ref> Following reports of Ukrainian positions being shelled from the Russian side of the border, between 22 and 25 August 2014, Russian artillery, personnel, and what Russia called a "humanitarian convoy" crossed the border. Russian crossings reportedly occurred both in areas that were controlled by pro-Russian forces and those that were not, such as the south-eastern part of [[Donetsk Oblast]], near [[Novoazovsk]].<ref name="nyt1">{{Cite news |last=Michael R. Gordon |date=22 August 2014 |title=Russia Moves Artillery Units into Ukraine, NATO Says |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/23/world/europe/russia-moves-artillery-units-into-ukraine-nato-says.html |access-date=5 June 2015}}</ref><ref name="NYT2782014">{{Cite news |last1=Kramer |first1=Andrew E. |last2=Gordon |first2=Michael R. |date=27 August 2014 |title=Ukraine Reports Russian Invasion on a New Front |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/world/europe/ukraine-russia-novoazovsk-crimea.html |access-date=27 August 2014}}</ref> [[Head of the Security Service of Ukraine]] [[Valentyn Nalyvaichenko]] characterised the events of 22 August as a "direct invasion by Russia of Ukraine",<ref name="Ukr crisis convoy crosses border">{{Cite news |date=22 August 2014 |title=Ukraine accuses Russia of invasion after aid convoy crosses border |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-aid-convoy-idUSKBN0GM0IS20140822 |url-status=live |access-date=22 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822150641/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/22/us-ukraine-crisis-aid-convoy-idUSKBN0GM0IS20140822 |archive-date=22 August 2014}}</ref> while other Western and Ukrainian officials described the events as a Russian "stealth invasion".<ref name="NYT2782014"/> Russia's official position on the presence of Russian forces in Donbas has been vague; while official bodies have denied the presence of "regular armed forces" in Ukraine, it has on numerous occasions confirmed the presence of "military specialists", along with other euphemisms, usually accompanied by an argument that Russia "was forced" to deploy them to "defend the Russian-speaking population".<ref>''The Interpreter'' quoted what Putin said during a live call-in session on 12 October 2016:<br />"When we were forced, I want to stress, forced to defend the Russian-speaking population in the Donbas, forced to respond to the desire of the people living in Crimea to return to being part of the Russian Federation, they instantly began to whip up anti-Russian policies and the imposition of sanctions."<br />{{Cite news |date=12 October 2016 |title=Putin Claims Russia Was 'Forced To Defend Russian-Speaking Population in Donbass' |work=The Interpreter |url=http://www.interpretermag.com/day-968/#15291 |access-date=8 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Oliphant |first=Roland |date=17 December 2015 |title=Vladimir Putin admits: Russian troops 'were in Ukraine' |journal=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/vladimir-putin/12054164/Vladimir-Putins-annual-press-conference-2015-live.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/vladimir-putin/12054164/Vladimir-Putins-annual-press-conference-2015-live.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=9 January 2018 |issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
As a result of the invasion, DPR and LPR insurgents regained much of the territory they had lost during the Ukrainian government's preceding military offensive.<ref name=Katchanovski2016/> Ukraine, Russia, the DPR and the LPR signed an agreement to establish a ceasefire, called the [[Minsk Protocol]], on 5 September 2014.<ref name="BBC2908" /> Violations of the ceasefire on both sides became common. Amidst the solidification of the line between insurgent and government-controlled territory during the ceasefire, [[warlord]]s took control of swaths of land on the insurgent side, leading to further destabilisation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vasilyeva |first=Nataliya |date=11 November 2014 |title=Ukraine rebels: a disunited front run by warlords |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/e2dcda041fa84a7192093bfe98dea55a |access-date=15 November 2020}}</ref> The ceasefire completely collapsed in January 2015, with renewed heavy fighting across the conflict zone, including at [[Donetsk International Airport]] and at [[Debaltseve]]. Involved parties agreed to a new ceasefire, called [[Minsk II]], on 12 February 2015. Immediately following the signing of the agreement, separatist forces launched an [[Battle of Debaltseve#After Minsk II|offensive on Debaltseve]] and forced Ukrainian forces to withdraw from it. In the months after the fall of Debaltseve, minor skirmishes continued along the line of contact, but no territorial changes occurred. This state of stalemate led to the war being labelled a "[[frozen conflict]]";<ref name="REU21JULY2015" /> despite this, the area remained a war zone, with dozens of soldiers and civilians killed each month.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Whitmore |first=Brian |date=26 July 2016 |title=The Daily Vertical: Ukraine's Forgotten War (Transcript) |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |url=http://www.rferl.org/a/daily-vertical-deadly-donbas-forgotten-war/27880993.html |access-date=9 September 2016}}</ref> In 2017, on average one Ukrainian soldier died in combat every three days,<ref>[http://dailysignal.com/2017/12/04/ukraine-beginning-look-lot-like-christmas-lot-less-like-russia/amp/ In Ukraine It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, and a Lot Less Like Russia], [[The Daily Signal]] (4 December 2017)<br />[https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/11/27/kurt-volker-the-full-transcript-215868 Kurt Volker: The Full Transcript], [[Politico]] (27 November 2017)</ref> with the number of Russian and separatist troops remaining in the region estimated at 6,000 and 40,000 respectively.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 September 2017 |title=Kyiv says there are about 6,000 Russian soldiers, 40,000 separatists in Donbas |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/kyiv-says-6000-russian-soldiers-40000-separatists-donbas.html |access-date=16 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Christopher |date=30 January 2017 |title=Anxious Ukraine Risks Escalation In 'Creeping Offensive' |work=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-creeping-offensive-escalation-fighting/28268104.html |access-date=27 April 2018}}</ref> By the end of 2017, the [[OSCE]] observatory mission had accounted for around 30,000 individuals in military-style dress crossing from Russia to Donbas at the two border checkpoints it was allowed to [[OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine|monitor]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Response to Chief Observer of the Observer Mission at the Russian Border Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk {{!}} Statement to the PC |date=17 November 2016|url=https://osce.usmission.gov/response-chief-observer-observer-mission-russian-border-checkpoints-gukovo-donetsk-statement-pc/}}</ref> The OSCE has also documented numerous cases of military convoys crossing from the Russian Federation into the occupied territory on dirt roads away from official border crossings and usually at night.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Gone |first=Glasnost |date=12 June 2020 |title=The Routes Used by the Russian Army to Cross into Ukraine |url=https://glasnostgone.org/2020/06/12/the-routes-used-by-the-russian-army-to-cross-the-ukrainian-border/ |access-date=18 June 2020 |website=Glasnost Gone |language=en}}</ref>
Since the start of the conflict there have been 29 ceasefires, each intended to remain in force indefinitely, but none of them have stopped the violence.<ref name="7265424Donbass" /><ref name="tass1038447" /><ref name="tass.com/world/1027270">{{Cite news |date=23 October 2018 |title=Four DPR servicemen killed in shellings by Ukrainian troops in past week |agency=[[Information Telegraph Agency of Russia]] |url=http://tass.com/world/1027270 |access-date=28 October 2018}}</ref> The most successful attempt to halt the fighting was in 2016, when a ceasefire held for six consecutive weeks.<ref name="tass.com/world/1027270"/> Ukraine, Russia, the DPR, the LPR and the OSCE agreed to a roadmap for an end to the conflict on 1 October 2019.<ref name=bbc11oct1/> However, the conflict did not thaw since then and, by late summer 2020, still remained unresolved on multiple levels.<ref name="zelenskyy-high-chance" /><ref name="7265424Donbass" /> The latest ceasefire (29th)<ref name="7265424Donbass"/> came into force on 27 July 2020 which led to no Ukrainian combat losses for more than a month.<ref name="11123774Ukrainian" /><ref name="3086612presidentukraine" /><ref name="7265424Donbass" /> According to Ukrainian authorities, from 27 July 2020 until 7 November 2020 Ukrainian mortal losses decreased tenfold (three Ukrainian soldiers were killed) and the number of attacks decreased 5.5-fold.<ref name="3131969ukrinform"/> The first trimester of 2021 saw a large increase in Ukrainian fatalities (25, compared with 50 deaths in the whole of 2020) and the buildup of a large Russian military force on the Donbas-Russian border late March to early April 2021 and from [[2021-2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis|late October and November 2021]] onwards.<ref name="56678665Ukraineconflict"/>
== Background ==
{{Main|Maidan revolution|2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine|Historical background of the Russo-Ukrainian War#Donbas}}
In the 2000s, Russia's President [[Vladimir Putin]] began pursuing [[New Imperialism|neo-imperialist]] politics, using the [[Russian diaspora]] as its instrument. These territorial implications were already established with [[South Ossetia]] and [[Abkhazia]] in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], as well as [[Transnistria]] in [[Moldova]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Beyond Crimea: The New Russian Empire|first=Agnia|last=Grigas|authorlink=Agnia Grigas
|publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven, Connecticut|year=2016|isbn=9780300220766|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lMp5CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA3|pages=3–4}}</ref>
=== Donetsk Oblast ===
[[File:2014-03-09. Протесты в Донецке 019.jpg|thumb|left|Pro-Russian protesters in [[Donetsk]], 9 March 2014]]
Attempts to seize the Donetsk regional state administration (RSA) building began since [[2014 pro-Russian protests in Ukraine|pro-Russian protests]] erupted in the [[Eastern Ukraine|eastern]] and [[Southern Ukraine|southern]] regions of Ukraine, in the wake of the [[2014 Ukrainian revolution]]. Pro-Russian protesters occupied the Donetsk RSA from 1 to 6 March 2014, before being removed by the [[Security Service of Ukraine]] (SBU).<ref name="march6cbs">{{Cite news |date=6 March 2014 |title=Ukrainian city of Donetsk epitomizes country's crisis |publisher=CBS News |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukrainian-city-of-donetsk-epitomizes-countrys-crisis/ |access-date=7 March 2014}}</ref> On 6 April, 1,000–2,000 people gathered at a rally in Donetsk to demand a status [[referendum]] similar to the [[2014 Crimean status referendum|one held in Crimea]] in March.<ref name="BBC100a6414">{{Cite news |date=6 April 2014 |title=Ukraine: Pro-Russians storm offices in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26910210}}</ref> The demonstrators stormed the RSA building, and took control of its first two floors. They said that if an extraordinary legislative session was not held by regional officials to implement a status referendum, they would take control of the regional government with a "people's mandate", and dismiss all elected regional councillors and members of parliament.<ref name="UPravda1">{{Cite news |date=6 April 2014 |script-title=uk:Донецькі сепаратисти готуються сформувати "народну облраду" та приєднатися до РФ |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/6/7021524/ |website=[[Ukrayinska Pravda]] |language=uk}}</ref> As these demands were not met, the activists held a meeting in the RSA building, and voted in favour of independence from Ukraine. They proclaimed the [[Donetsk People's Republic]] (DPR) on 7 April 2014.<ref name="BBCtha">[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26919928 Ukraine crisis: Protesters declare Donetsk 'republic'], [[BBC News]] (7 April 2014)</ref>
=== Luhansk Oblast ===
{{See also|Luhansk People's Republic}}
Unrest in Luhansk Oblast began on 6 April, when approximately 1,000 activists seized and occupied the [[Security Service of Ukraine|SBU]] building in the city of [[Luhansk]], following similar occupations in the cities of [[Donetsk]] and [[Kharkiv]].<ref name="globalpost.com">{{Cite web |title=Ukraine's eastern hot spots |url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140416/ukraines-eastern-hot-spots |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421235710/http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140416/ukraines-eastern-hot-spots |archive-date=21 April 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=GlobalPost}}</ref> Protesters barricaded the building, and demanded that all arrested separatist leaders be released.<ref name="globalpost.com" /> Police were able to retake control of the building, but the demonstrators regathered for a 'people's assembly' outside the building and called for a 'people's government', demanding either federalisation or incorporation into the [[Russian Federation]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alan Yuhas and Tom McCarthy |date=16 April 2014 |title=Crisis in east Ukraine: a city-by-city guide to the spreading conflict |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/16/crisis-east-ukraine-city-by-city-guide-map |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> At this assembly, they elected [[Valery Bolotov]] to the position of "People's Governor".<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 November 2013 |title=В Луганске выбрали "народного губернатора" | Донбасс | Вести |url=http://vesti-ukr.com/donbass/48519-v-lugansve-vybrali-narodnogo-gubernatora |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Vesti.ua}}</ref>
Two referendums were announced, one on 11 May to determine whether the region should seek some form of autonomy, and a second scheduled for 18 May to determine whether the region should join the Russian Federation, or declare independence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=У Луганську сепаратисти вирішили провести два референдуми | Українська правда |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/21/7023176/ |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Ukrayinska Pravda}}</ref> The [[Luhansk People's Republic]] (LPR) was declared on 27 April.<ref name="en.itar-tass.com">{{Cite news |date=20 May 2010 |title=ITAR-TASS: World – Federalization supporters in Luhansk proclaim people's republic |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/729768 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Representatives of the Republic demanded that Ukrainian government provide amnesty for all protesters, enshrine Russian as an official language, and hold a referendum on the status of the region.<ref name="en.itar-tass.com" /> They issued an ultimatum that stated that if Kyiv did not meet their demands by 14:00 on 29 April, they would launch an insurgency in tandem with that of the [[Donetsk People's Republic]].<ref name="en.itar-tass.com" />
== History ==
{{See also|Timeline of the war in Donbas}}
=== April 2014: conflict begins ===
On 12 April, unmarked pro-Russian militants seized the [[Donetsk]] city office of the [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)|Ministry of Internal Affairs]] and two other police offices in the oblast, although they were repelled after an assault on the general prosecutor's office and failed to take a police office in the city of [[Shakhtarsk]].<ref name=kpslov /> Following negotiations between the militants and those in the building, the chief of the office resigned from his post.<ref name="kpslov" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 April 2014 |title=Сепаратисти змусили керівника Донецької облміліції піти у відставку |work=Ukrainska Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/12/7022201/}}</ref> Officers from the [[Berkut (special police force)|Berkut]] special police force, which had been dissolved by the government following the February revolution, took part in the seizure on the separatists' side.<ref name="teleapr12">{{Cite news |last=Oliphant |first=Roland |date=12 April 2014 |title=Fears of full-scale Russian invasion as eastern Ukraine cities toppled |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10763008/Fears-of-full-scale-Russian-invasion-as-eastern-Ukraine-cities-toppled.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10763008/Fears-of-full-scale-Russian-invasion-as-eastern-Ukraine-cities-toppled.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> After having gained control of the Donetsk RSA and having declared the Donetsk People's Republic, pro-Russian groups vowed to fan out and take control of strategic infrastructure across Donetsk Oblast, and demanded that public officials who wished to continue their work swear allegiance to the Republic.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Baczynska |first=Gabriela |date=14 April 2014 |title=Separatists in Ukraine's Donetsk vow to take full control of region |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-donetsk-idUSBREA3D1A320140414 |access-date=28 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414220714/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/14/us-ukraine-crisis-donetsk-idUSBREA3D1A320140414 |archive-date=14 April 2014}}</ref>
By 14 April, pro-Russian militants led by former [[GRU]] operatives [[Igor Girkin]] and [[Igor Bezler]] had taken control of government buildings in many other cities within the [[oblast]], including [[Sloviansk]], [[Mariupol]], [[Horlivka]], [[Kramatorsk]], [[Yenakiieve]], [[Makiivka]], [[Druzhkivka]], and [[Zhdanivka]].<ref name="gorlovkafox">{{Cite news |date=14 April 2014 |title=Another government building in eastern Ukraine attacked by pro-Russia militants |publisher=Fox News |url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/04/14/deadline-for-pro-russian-gunmen-to-leave-ukraine-government-buildings-passes/ |access-date=14 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414104652/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/04/14/deadline-for-pro-russian-gunmen-to-leave-ukraine-government-buildings-passes/ |archive-date=14 April 2014}}</ref><ref name="zhdanovka">{{Cite news |date=14 April 2014 |title=Activists easily seize local council building in Donetsk region's Zhdanovka |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/activists-easily-seize-local-council-building-in-donetsk-regions-zhdanovka-343434.html |access-date=14 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904150402/https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/activists-easily-seize-local-council-building-in-donetsk-regions-zhdanovka-343434.html |archive-date=4 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="ded33">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=39–40 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref> Following this seizure of the Donetsk RSA, the militants began to expand their control across the city. The municipal administration building was stormed and occupied by the insurgents on 16 April.<ref name="april16wapo">{{Cite news |date=16 April 2014 |title=Ukrainian troop defections escalate tensions in eastern Ukraine |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2014/04/16/4d36b1b6-c532-11e3-b574-f8748871856a_story.html |access-date=16 April 2014}}</ref> Further actions by the separatists resulted in the capture of the offices of the regional state television network on 27 April.<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 April 2014 |title=Separatists seize control of TV HQ in east Ukraine city |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-separatists-tv-idUSBREA3Q0CZ20140427 |access-date=28 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427204110/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/27/us-ukraine-separatists-tv-idUSBREA3Q0CZ20140427 |archive-date=27 April 2014}}</ref> After capturing the broadcasting centre, the militants began to broadcast Russian television channels. On 4 May, the flag of the Donetsk People's Republic was raised over the police headquarters in Donetsk city proper.<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 May 2014 |script-title=ru:Донецкие милиционеры повесили на гору правлении сепаратистский флаг |language=ru |trans-title=Donetsk militia hung the separatist flag |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |url=http://www.unian.net/politics/914424-donetskie-militsioneryi-povesili-na-gorupravlenii-separatistskiy-flag.html |access-date=14 May 2014}}</ref>
A number of interviews given in 2019–2020 by participants on the Russian side (including [[Igor Strelkov (officer)|Girkin]], [[Igor Bezler|Bezler]], [[Pavel Gubarev|Gubarev]] and others) revealed that the initial idea to take control of Donbas towns was passed on to Donetsk "People's Governor" [[Pavel Gubarev]] by [[Sergey Glazyev]], an advisor to Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] at that time. Gubarev's team met Girkin's as it entered Ukraine from Russia, and the original plan was to capture [[Shakhtarsk]] first, as it was much closer to both the Russo-Ukrainian border and the Russian military base in [[Rostov-on-Don]]. The decision to attack Sloviansk instead was made after Girkin's group crossed the border, supposedly due to the presence of a larger group of pro-Russian activists ready to support their cause in the town. Military and financial support for the group was provided by [[Sergey Aksyonov]] and [[Konstantin Malofeev]]. ''[[Novaya Gazeta]]'' summarised the situation as "a group of poorly prepared mercenaries turning a whole region into a bloodbath" and concluded that Russia "will bear moral and political responsibility for its civilian casualties as long as its participants are not taken to court".<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Бесславные гибриды |url=https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2020/07/17/86300-besslavnye-gibridy |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=Новая газета – Novayagazeta.ru |language=ru}}</ref>
{{See also|Glazyev tapes}}
In response to the widening unrest, the acting Ukrainian President, [[Oleksandr Turchynov]], vowed to launch an "Anti-Terrorist Operation" (ATO) against separatist movements in Donetsk Oblast.<ref name="news.biharprabha.com">{{Cite news |title=Pro-Russian Group in Donetsk declare independence from Ukraine |publisher=news.biharprabha.com |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/04/pro-russian-group-in-donetsk-declare-independence-from-ukraine/ |access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref> The Minister of Internal Affairs, [[Arsen Avakov]], said on 9 April that the unrest in Donetsk Oblast would be resolved within 48 hours, either through negotiations or the use of force. President Oleksandr Turchynov signed a decree to retake the Donetsk RSA building, and place it "under state protection",<ref name="cnn.com">{{Cite news |last1=Laura Smith-Spark |last2=Kellie Morgan |date=10 April 2014 |title=Ukraine unrest will be resolved by force or talks in 48 hours, minister says |publisher=CNN |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/09/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html |access-date=30 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="Ukrainska Pravda">{{Cite news |date=9 April 2014 |script-title=uk:Турчинов наказав взяти під держохорону будівлю Донецької ОДА |language=uk |trans-title=Turchynov ordered to take the Donetsk Regional State Administration building under state protection |work=Ukrainian Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/9/7021915/ |access-date=26 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826105357/http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/9/7021915/ |archive-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> and offered amnesty to the demonstrators if they laid down their arms.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 April 2014 |script-title=ru:Турчинов готов освободить сепаратистов без криминала, если они сложат оружие |trans-title=Turchynov ready to release the separatists without charges if they lay down their weapons |url=http://novosti.dn.ua/details/222329/ |access-date=28 July 2015 |publisher=Novosti.dn |language=ru}}</ref>
=== Expansion of separatist territorial control ===
==== Sloviansk ====
{{Main|Siege of Sloviansk}}
[[File:2014-04-14 Sloviansk city council - 2.jpg|thumbnail|left|Pro-Russian insurgents occupying the Sloviansk city administration building, 14 April 2014]]
A group of masked pro-Russian militants under the command of a retired [[Federal Security Service (Russia)|FSB]] officer [[Igor Girkin]] took control of the city administration building, police offices, and SBU building in [[Sloviansk]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bidder |first=Benjamin |title=Russian Far-Right Idol: The Man Who Started the War in Ukraine |work=Der Spiegel |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/the-ukraine-war-from-perspective-of-russian-nationalists-a-1023801.html |access-date=27 August 2015 |quote=But his big moment would only come later. In April 2014, Strelkov, joined by armed irregulars from Russia, marched from Crimea to the provincial city of Sloviansk, which is strategically located between the population centers of Donetsk and Kharkiv. "In the beginning, nobody there wanted to fight," Strelkov recalls. He and his men attacked a police station in Sloviansk and created facts on the ground.}}</ref> a city in the northern part of Donetsk Oblast, on 12 April.<ref name="kpslov">{{Cite news |last=Mark Rachkevych |date=12 April 2014 |title=Armed pro-Russian extremists launch coordinated attacks in Donetsk Oblast, seize buildings and set up checkpoints |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/armed-pro-russian-extremists-seize-police-stations-in-donetsks-slavyansk-shaktarysk-fail-to-take-donetsk-prosecutors-office-343195.html |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> After militants took over the city, Sloviansk mayor [[Nelya Shtepa]] briefly appeared at an occupied police station, and expressed support for the militants.<ref name=kpslov /> Others gathered outside the building and similarly voiced their support for the militants. They told Ukrainian journalists who were reporting on the situation to "go back to [[Kyiv]]".<ref name="kpslov" /> Nelya Shtepa was later detained by the insurgents, and replaced by the self-proclaimed "people's mayor" [[Vyacheslav Ponomarev (public figure)|Vyacheslav Ponomarev]].<ref name=teleapr12 />
The militants gained control of the city's police weapons cache and seized hundreds of firearms, which prompted the Ukrainian government to launch a "counter-terrorism" operation to retake the city.<ref name=teleapr12 /> This government counter-offensive began on the morning of 13 April.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Salem |first=Harriet |date=10 June 2014 |title=Sloviansk's 'People's Mayor' Rumored to Be Detained By Own Forces in Ukraine |url=https://news.vice.com/article/sloviansks-peoples-mayor-rumored-to-be-detained-by-own-forces-in-ukraine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714160613/https://news.vice.com/article/sloviansks-peoples-mayor-rumored-to-be-detained-by-own-forces-in-ukraine |archive-date=14 July 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=News.vice.com}}</ref> As a result, an entrenched standoff between pro-Russian forces and the [[Armed Forces of Ukraine]] ensued, marking the start of combat in Donbas.<ref name="BBC17DEC">{{Cite news |date=17 December 2014 |title=The Russians fighting a 'holy war' in Ukraine |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30518054 |access-date=17 December 2014}}</ref> The city remained under siege until 5 July, when Ukrainian forces recaptured it, with an estimated 15,000–20,000 people displaced by the fighting.<ref name=5BBC7/> Mayor Shtepa was arrested on 11 July 2014 for allegedly colluding with pro-Russian forces.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 March 2015 |title=Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine: 1 December 2014 to 15 February 2015 |url=http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/9thOHCHRreportUkraine.pdf#sthash.HFQs2pv2.dpuf |access-date=3 March 2015 |publisher=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |page=18 |format=PDF}}</ref>
Shortly after taking control over Sloviansk, Girkin's group executed a member of town council [[Volodymyr Ivanovych Rybak]] as well as four other citizens of Ukraine, including 25-years old Yuri Dyakovsky and an unnamed 19-year-old man. Girkin took responsibility for these executions in 2020, even though in the preceding years he and other pro-Russian militants claimed Rybak had been released from custody.<ref name=":2" />
==== Kramatorsk ====
{{Main|Battle of Kramatorsk}}
In [[Kramatorsk]], a city in northern Donetsk Oblast, separatists attacked a police station on 13 April, resulting in a shootout.<ref name="pravdaapr12">{{Cite news |date=12 April 2014 |script-title=uk:На Донбасі сепаратисти і міліція влаштували перестрілку |language=uk |trans-title=Separatists and police engaged in a gunfight in Kramatorsk |work=Ukrainian Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/12/7022218/}}</ref> The fighters, members of the [[Russian separatist forces in Donbas|Donbas People's Militia]], later captured the police station. They removed the police station's sign and raised the flag of the Donetsk People's Republic over the building.<ref name="militaproof">{{Cite news |date=12 April 2014 |title=Приїжджі загарбники в Краматорську назвалися "народним ополченням" |work=Ukrainska Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/12/7022227/}}</ref> They then issued an ultimatum that stated that if the city's mayor and administration did not swear allegiance to the Republic by the following Monday, they would remove them from office.<ref name=militaproof /> Concurrently, a crowd of demonstrators surrounded the city administration building, captured it, and raised the Donetsk People's Republic flag over it. A representative of the Republic addressed locals outside the occupied police station, but was received negatively and booed.<ref name=militaproof />
After a government counter-offensive as part of the "Anti-Terrorist Operation" in Donetsk Oblast on 2–3 May, the insurgents were routed from Kramatorsk's occupied SBU building.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite news |date=4 May 2014 |script-title=ru:Украинские войска вышли из Краматорска |language=ru |trans-title=Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from Kramatorsk |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |url=http://www.unian.net/politics/914397-ukrainskie-voyska-vyishli-iz-kramatorska-smi.html |access-date=14 May 2014}}</ref> Despite this, Ukrainian troops quickly withdrew from the city for unknown reasons, and the separatists quickly regained control. Sporadic fighting continued until 5 July, when the insurgents withdrew from Kramatorsk.<ref name="BBCkramawith" />
==== Horlivka ====
{{Main|Battle of Horlivka}}
Militants attempted to seize the police headquarters in [[Horlivka]] on 12 April, but were halted. ''[[Ukrayinska Pravda]]'' reported that police said that the purpose of the attempted seizure was to gain access to a weapons cache.<ref name="MVDWeapons">{{Cite news |date=12 April 2014 |script-title=uk:У Горлівці міліція відбила атаку сепаратистів на "зброю МВС" |language=uk |trans-title=Horlivka police repelled a separatist attack on "Ministry of Internal Affairs weapons" |agency=Ukrainian Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/12/7022226/ |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> They said that they would use force if needed to defend the building from "criminals and terrorists".<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 April 2014 |script-title=ru:Горловские милиционеры во всеоружии и готовы обороняться |language=ru |trans-title=Horlivka militiamen fully armed and ready to defend |agency=Novosti.dn |url=http://novosti.dn.ua/details/222549/ |url-status=dead |access-date=28 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722094612/http://novosti.dn.ua/details/222549/ |archive-date=22 July 2015}}</ref> By 14 April, however, militants had captured the building after a tense standoff with the police.<ref name="gorlovkafox" /> Some members of the local police unit had defected to the Donetsk People's Republic earlier in the day, whilst the remaining officers were forced to retreat, allowing the insurgents to take control of the building.<ref name="gorlovkaeuronews">{{Cite news |date=14 April 2014 |title=Pro-Russian attack police HQ in Horlivka as Kyiv's deadline expires |work=Euronews |url=http://www.euronews.com/2014/04/14/live-ukraine-pro-russian-attack-police-hq-in-horlivka/ |access-date=14 April 2014}}</ref> The local chief of police was captured and badly beaten by the insurgents.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 April 2014 |script-title=uk:Аваков: Керівник міліції Горлівки – справжній офіцер – побитий, але живий |language=uk |trans-title=Avakov: The Head of Police of Horlivka – a true officer – is battered but alive |agency=Ukrainian Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/14/7022432/ |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> A Horlivka city council deputy, [[Volodymyr Ivanovych Rybak|Volodymyr Rybak]], was kidnapped by masked men believed to be pro-Russian militants on 17 April. His body was later found in a river on 22 April.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 April 2014 |script-title=ru:В реке на Донетчине нашли тело мужчины, похожего на пропавшего депутата из Горловки |language=ru |trans-title=A man's body, resembling the missing Horlivka councilor, has been found in a river in the Donetsk Region |url=http://www.unian.net/politics/910433-v-reke-na-donetchine-nashli-telo-mujchinyi-pohojego-na-propavshego-deputata-iz-gorlovki-smi.html |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> The city administration building was seized on 30 April, solidifying separatist control over Horlivka.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 April 2014 |title=Pro-Russian separatists seize buildings in east Ukraine's Horlivka |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/pro-russian-separatists-seize-buildings-in-east-ukraines-horlivka/article18335644/ |access-date=30 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430163031/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/try-it-now/?articleId=18335644 |archive-date=30 April 2014}}</ref> Self-proclaimed mayor of Horlivka Volodymyr Kolosniuk was arrested by the SBU on suspicion of participation in "terrorist activities" on 2 July.
==== Mariupol ====
{{2013–2014 unrest in Ukraine}}
{{main|Battle of Mariupol}}
Donetsk People's Republic activists took control of the city administration building in Mariupol on 13 April.<ref name="voicesevas.ru">[http://voicesevas.ru/news/yugo-vostok/309-mariupol-podnjalsja-protiv-hunty-zahvach.html Голос Севастополя (Voice of Sevastopol)], ''Мариуполь поднялся против хунты. Захвачен городской совет, возводятся баррикады [Mariupol rose against the junta. Captured the city council and erected barricades]'', 13 April 2014.</ref> The Ukrainian government claimed to have "liberated" the building on 24 April, but this was denied by locals interviewed by the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] near the building.<ref>{{Cite news |last=<!--staff writer(s); no by-line--> |date=25 April 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: BBC investigates Mariupol 'liberation' claims |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27153649 |access-date=1 July 2014}}</ref>
Clashes between government forces and pro-Russian groups escalated in early May when the city administration building was briefly retaken by the Ukrainian National Guard. The pro-Russian forces quickly took the building back.<ref name="aljazeera.com">{{Cite news |last=Varshalomidze |first=Tamila |date=26 June 2014 |title=Timeline: Ukraine's pro-Russian unrest |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2014/05/timeline-ukraine-pro-russian-unrest-20145912017783471.html |access-date=27 November 2015}}</ref> Militants then launched an attack on a local police station, leading the Ukrainian government to send in military forces. Skirmishes between the troops and local demonstrators caused the city administration building to be set on fire. Government forces, however, were unsuccessful in forcing out the pro-Russians, and only further inflamed tensions in Mariupol.<ref name="aljazeera.com" /> On 16 May, however, [[Metinvest]] steelworkers, along with local police and security forces, routed the insurgents from the city administration and other occupied government buildings in the city.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 May 2014 |title=Ukraine: Pro-Russian insurgents retreat from buildings in Mariupol |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-pro-russian-insurgents-retreat-from-buildings-in-mariupol-1.2644943 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Most insurgents left the city, and those few remaining were said to be unarmed. Despite this, the headquarters of the Donetsk People's Republic in the city remained untouched, and pro-Russian demonstrators could still be seen outside the burnt city administration.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Richard Allen Greene |date=19 May 2014 |title=Who's in charge here? In one eastern Ukrainian city, answer isn't clear |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/18/world/europe/mariupol-urkraine-leadership-vacuum/ |access-date=4 June 2015}}</ref>
Ukrainian troops gained control of the city on 13 June, with assistance from the National Guard.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 June 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: Government troops recapture the port city of Mariupol |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-government-troops-recapture-port-city-of-mariupol-1.2674375 |access-date=5 July 2014}}</ref> The headquarters of the DPR was captured. Mariupol was then declared the provisional capital of Donetsk Oblast, in place of Donetsk city, which was occupied by separatists.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 June 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: Kiev forces win back Mariupol |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27829773 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>
==== Other cities ====
Many smaller cities across the Donbas fell to the separatists.
In [[Artemivsk, Donetsk Oblast|Artemivsk]] on 12 April, separatists failed to capture the local Ministry of Internal Affairs office, but instead captured the city administration building and raised the DPR flag over it.<ref>[http://www.unian.net/politics/907230-separatistyi-podnyali-svoy-flag-nad-gorsovetom-artemovska.html Unian], ''Сепаратисты подняли свой флаг над горсоветом Артемовска [Separatists have raised their flag over the Artemivsk city council building]'', 13 April 2014.</ref> The city administration buildings in [[Yenakiieve]] and [[Druzhkivka]] were also captured.<ref name="20AprilDeparture">[http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/20/7023098/ Ukrainska Pravda], ''З Єнакієва зникли сепаратисти, які блокували міськраду [The separatists that blocked Yenakiyevo city council have disappeared]'', 20 April 2014.</ref> Police repelled an attack by pro-Russian militants upon an office of the [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)|Ministry of Internal Affairs]] in [[Krasnyi Lyman]] on 12 April, but the building was later captured by the separatists after a skirmish.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine Crisis: Another police building seized in east |url=http://www.ghanaiannews.ca/ukraine-crisis-another-police-building-seized-in-east/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014053700/http://www.ghanaiannews.ca/ukraine-crisis-another-police-building-seized-in-east/ |archive-date=14 October 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Ghanaiannews.ca}}</ref> Insurgents affiliated with the Donbas People's Militia occupied a regional administration building in [[Khartsyzk]] on 13 April, followed by a local administration building in [[Zhdanivka]] on 14 April.<ref name="zhdanovka" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 September 2014 |title=Timeline: Ukraine's political crisis |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2014/9/20/timeline-ukraines-political-crisis |access-date=20 September 2014}}</ref>
Demonstrators hoisted the flag of the DPR over the city administration buildings in [[Krasnoarmiisk]] and [[Novoazovsk]] on 16 April.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 April 2014 |title=Protesters hoist Donetsk People's Republic's flag in Novoazovsk, Krasnoarmeisk |work=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/728259 |access-date=23 April 2014}}</ref> The local administration building in [[Siversk]] was similarly captured on 18 April. Following the takeover, local police announced that they would co-operate with the activists.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 April 2014 |title=Eastern Ukraine's Pro-Russian Activists Stand Fast |publisher=The Wall Street Jounrla |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304626304579509100018004342}}</ref> On 20 April, separatists in Yenakiieve left the city administration building there which they had occupied since 13 April.<ref name=20AprilDeparture/> Despite this, by 27 May the city was still not under Ukrainian government control.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kaminski |first=Matthew |date=27 May 2014 |title=Matthew Kaminski: Contending With Putin's Hand in Ukraine's Badlands – WSJ |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/matthew-kaminski-contending-with-putins-hand-in-ukraines-badlands-1401233457 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Pro-Russian demonstrators in [[Kostiantynivka]] burnt down the offices of a newspaper that had been critical of the DPR on 22 April.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 April 2014 |title=Ukrainian newspaper office burned down after threats |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/apr/24/ukraine-press-freedom |access-date=28 April 2014}}</ref>
70 to 100 insurgents armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers attacked an armoury in Artemivsk on 24 April.<ref name="depotaz">{{Cite news |date=24 April 2014 |title=Eastern cities Artemivsk, Mariupol latest targets in Ukraine anti-terror operation |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-armed-forces-repel-attack-by-gunmen-on-military-compound-in-artemivsk-344883.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424133534/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-armed-forces-repel-attack-by-gunmen-on-military-compound-in-artemivsk-344883.html |archive-date=24 April 2014}}</ref> The depot housed around 30 [[Tank (vehicle)|tanks]]. Ukrainian troops attempted to fight off the insurgents, but were forced to retreat after a substantial number of men were wounded by insurgent fire.<ref name=depotaz/> The Minister of Internal Affairs, [[Arsen Avakov]], said that the insurgents were led by a man with "an extensive beard", referring to the Russian militant Alexander Mozhaev.<ref name=depotaz/> Some 30 militants seized the police headquarters in Konstantinovka on 28 April.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 April 2014 |title=Separatists Seize Konstantinovka Police Headquarters in Eastern Ukraine |work=The Moscow Times |url=https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/pro-russian-separatists-seize-government-buildings-in-konstantinovka-34705 |access-date=28 April 2014}}</ref> On the next day, a city administration building in [[Pervomaisk, Luhansk Oblast|Pervomaisk]] was overrun by [[Luhansk People's Republic]] insurgents, who then raised their flag over it.<ref name="ReferenceA" /><ref name="lugradar.net">{{Cite web |date=30 April 2014 |script-title=ru:Красный Луч и Первомайск "слились". Кто дальше? |trans-title=Krasnyi Luch and Pervomaisk have "merged." Who next? |url=http://lugradar.net/2014/04/13915 |access-date=14 May 2014 |publisher=Lugradar.net |language=ru}}</ref> On the same day, militants seized control over the city administration building in [[Alchevsk]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 December 2013 |title=Maidan opponents seize Alchevsk city council – media – News – Politics – The Voice of Russia: News, Breaking news, Politics, Economics, Business, Russia, International current events, Expert opinion, podcasts, Video |url=http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_30/Maidan-opponents-seize-Alchevsk-city-council-media-0782/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513010816/http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_30/Maidan-opponents-seize-Alchevsk-city-council-media-0782/ |archive-date=13 May 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014 |publisher=The Voice of Russia}}</ref> In [[Krasnyi Luch]], the city administration conceded to demands by separatist activists to support the [[2014 Donetsk and Luhansk status referendums|referendums on the status of Donetsk and Luhansk]] being held on 11 May, and followed by raising the Russian flag over the city administration building.<ref name="lugradar.net" />
Insurgents occupied the city administration building in [[Stakhanov, Ukraine|Stakhanov]] on 1 May. Later in the week, they captured the local police station, business centre, and SBU building.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Никаких националистических идей у нас нет. Мы просто за единую Украину и … – Газета "ФАКТЫ и комментарии |url=http://fakty.ua/181184-nikakih-nacionalisticheskih-idej-u-nas-net-my-prosto-za-edinuyu-ukrainu-i-ne-hotim-v-rossiyu |access-date=14 May 2014 |publisher=Fakty.ua}}</ref> Activists in [[Rovenky]] occupied a police building on 5 May, but quickly left it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Жительница города Ровеньки: "Люди не понимают, что такое "Луганская республика", но референдума хотят" (Люди рассказывают, что не доверяют новой власти, ждут, когда их освободят от "нехороших людей", и хотят остаться в составе Украины) |url=http://gigamir.net/news/kyiv/pub795629 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140509010721/http://gigamir.net/news/kyiv/pub795629 |archive-date=9 May 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014 |publisher=Gigamir.net}}</ref> On the same day, the police headquarters in [[Slovianoserbsk]] was seized by members of the [[Army of the South-East]], which is affiliated with the Luhansk People's Republic.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 May 2014 |script-title=ru:Славяносербская милиция перешла на сторону сепаратистов |trans-title=Slavyanoserbsk militia sided with the separatists |url=http://lugradar.net/2014/05/13992 |access-date=14 May 2014 |publisher=Lugradar.net |language=ru}}</ref> The town of [[Antratsyt]] was occupied by a number of renegade [[Don Cossacks]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 May 2014 |title=Putin's Tourists Enter Ukraine | Dmitry Tymchuk |work=HuffPost |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dmitry-tymchuk/putin-ukraine-separatists_b_5274906.html |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Insurgents went on to seize the prosecutor's office in [[Sievierodonetsk]] on 7 May.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Северодонецк: сепаратисты захватили здание прокуратуры " ИИИ "Поток" | Главные новости дня |url=http://potok.ua/2014/05/08/severodoneck-separatisty-zaxvatili-zdanie-prokuratury.html |access-date=14 May 2014 |publisher=Potok.ua}}</ref> On the next day, supporters of the Luhansk People's Republic captured government buildings in [[Starobilsk]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=КИУ: Вчера в Старобельске штурмовали райгосадминистрацию |url=http://www.obzor.lg.ua/news/starobelsk35698 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513052246/http://www.obzor.lg.ua/news/starobelsk35698 |archive-date=13 May 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=OBZOR.lg.ua}}</ref>
=== Government counter-offensive: the Anti-Terrorist Operation ===
[[File:2014-04-15. Протесты в Донецке 001.jpg|thumb|left|The barricade outside the Donetsk RSA, with a slogan that asks the EU and US to "go home", alluding to claims of a Western intervention.]]
[[Arsen Avakov]], the Minister of Internal Affairs, said on 9 April that the separatist problem would be resolved within 48 hours through either negotiations or the use of force. According to the [[Ukrinform]] state-news agency, he said: "There are two opposite ways for resolving this conflict – a political dialogue and the heavy-handed approach. We are ready for both." At the time, President [[Oleksandr Turchynov]] had already signed a decree which called for the Donetsk regional state administration building, which had been occupied by separatists, to be taken "under state protection".<ref name="cnn.com" /><ref name="Ukrainska Pravda" /> He offered amnesty to any separatists who laid down their arms and surrendered.<ref>[http://novosti.dn.ua/details/222329/ Novosti Donetsk], ''Турчинов готов освободить сепаратистов без криминала, если они сложат оружие [Turchynov ready to release the separatists without charges, if they lay down their weapons]'', 10 April 2014.</ref> By 11 April, the Prime Minister, [[Arseniy Yatsenyuk]], said that he was against the use of "law enforcement" at the time, but that "there was a limit" to how much the Ukrainian government would tolerate.<ref>[http://novosti.dn.ua/details/222442/ Novosti Donetsk], ''"Я против силовых сценариев, но всему есть предел", – Яценюк ["I am against law enforcement scenarios, but there is a limit" – Yatsenyuk]'', 11 April 2014.</ref>
In response to the spread of separatist control throughout Donetsk Oblast, and the refusal of the separatists to lay down their arms, Turchynov vowed to launch a military counter-offensive operation, called the "Anti-Terrorist Operation", against insurgents in the region on 15 April.<ref name="news.biharprabha.com" /> As part of the counter-offensive, Ukrainian troops re-took the airfield in [[Kramatorsk]] after a skirmish with members of the Donbas People's Militia. According to Russian media, at least four people died as a result.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kramer |first=Andrew E. |date=15 April 2014 |title=Ukraine Sends Force to Stem Unrest in East |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/16/world/europe/ukraine-russia.html |access-date=7 November 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
After the Armed Forces of Ukraine re-took the airfield, the commanding general of the unit that had retaken it, [[Vasyl Krutov]], was surrounded by hostile protesters who demanded to know why the Ukrainian troops had fired upon local residents.<ref name="krutovguardian">{{Cite news |date=15 April 2014 |title=Troops fire as locals in Kramatorsk confront Ukraine general Vasily Krutov |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/15/troops-fire-mob-ukraine-oleksandr-turchynov-general-vasily-krutov |access-date=14 April 2014}}</ref> Krutov was then dragged back to the airbase along with his unit. They were then blocked by the protesters, who vowed not to let the troops leave the base.<ref name=krutovguardian/> Krutov later told reporters that "if they [the separatists] do not lay down their arms, they will be destroyed".<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 April 2014 |title=Ukraine counter-attack as troops storm separatist positions |work=Daily Mirror |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/ukraine-counter-attack-troops-storm-3417939 |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref>
Donbas People's Militia insurgents entered [[Sloviansk]] on 16 April, along with six [[armoured personnel carrier]]s they claimed to have obtained from the [[25th Airborne Brigade (Ukraine)|25th Airborne Brigade]], which had surrendered in the city of [[Kramatorsk]].<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-combat-vehicles-with-pro-russian-troops-enter-town-1.2611783 CBC], ''Ukraine crisis: combat vehicles with pro-Russian troops enter town'', 16 April 2014.</ref>
Reports say members of the brigade were disarmed after the vehicles were blocked from passing by angry locals.<ref name="BBC16Apr14">{{Cite news |date=16 April 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: Military column 'seized' in Kramatorsk |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27053500 |access-date=17 April 2014}}</ref> In another incident, several hundred residents of the village of Pchyolkino, south of Sloviansk, surrounded another column of 14 Ukrainian armoured vehicles. Following negotiations, the troops were allowed to drive their vehicles away, but only after agreeing to surrender the magazines from their assault rifles.<ref name=BBC16Apr14/> These incidents led President Turchynov to disband the 25th Airborne Brigade.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140417223308/http://un.ua/eng/article/504866.html UN Ukrainian News Agency], ''Turchynov Tells Defence Ministry Disestablish 25th Brigade of Air Assault Forces'', 17 April 2014.</ref> Three members of the Donbas People's Militia were killed, 11 wounded, and 63 were arrested after they attempted and failed to storm a [[National Guard of Ukraine|National Guard]] base in [[Mariupol]].<ref>[http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/3-russian-backed-militants-killed-in-attack-on-ukrainian-base-in-mariupol-343894.html Kyiv Post], ''Three Russian-backed militants killed in attack on Ukrainian base in Mariupol'', by Mark Rachkevych, 17 April 2014.</ref>
Turchynov relaunched the stalled counter-offensive against pro-Russian insurgents on 22 April, after two men, one a local politician, were found "tortured to death".<ref name="bbc22">{{Cite news |date=22 April 2014 |title=Ukraine alert as politician 'killed' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27118875}}</ref> The politician, [[Volodymyr Ivanovych Rybak|Volodymyr Rybak]], was found dead near [[Sloviansk]] after having been abducted by pro-Russian insurgents. Turchynov said that "the terrorists who effectively took the whole Donetsk Oblast hostage have now gone too far".<ref name=bbc22/> The Internal Affairs Ministry reported that the city of Sviatogorsk, near Sloviansk, was retaken by Ukrainian troops on 23 April.<ref name="GlobeAndMail23Apr14">[https://web.archive.org/web/20140423110841/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/kiev-ends-easter-truce-resumes-offensive-in-eastern-ukraine/article18121491/ The Globe and Mail], ''Ukraine has 'freed' eastern city, Kiev says as crackdown resumes'', 23 April 2014.</ref> In addition, the Defence Ministry said it had taken control over all points of strategic importance in the area around [[Kramatorsk]].<ref>[http://donbass.comments.ua/news/96329-ukrainskie-voennie-kontroliruyut.html Комментарии Донецк], ''Украинские военные контролируют все важные объекты Краматорска, – Минобороны [Ministry of Defence say that the Ukrainian military control all the important facilities Kramatorsk]'', 23 April 2014.</ref>
[[File:9 May in Sloviansk.jpg|thumb|left|Pro-separatist rally in Sloviansk, 9 May 2014]]
The Internal Affairs Minister, Arsen Avakov, said on 24 April that Ukrainian troops had captured the city administration in Mariupol, after [[Mariupol standoff|a clash]] with pro-Russian demonstrators there.<ref name="mariupolapril24reuters">{{Cite news |date=24 April 2014 |title=Separatists surround 'liberated' Ukraine city hall |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-mariupol-idUSBREA3N1C620140424 |access-date=28 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427035137/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/24/us-ukraine-crisis-mariupol-idUSBREA3N1C620140424 |archive-date=27 April 2014}}</ref> Despite this, a report by the BBC said that whilst it appeared that Ukrainian troops and the mayor of Mariupol did enter the building in the early morning, Ukrainian troops had abandoned it by the afternoon. Local pro-Russian activists blamed Ukrainian nationalists for the attack upon the building but said that the DPR had regained control. A representative of the Republic, [[Irina Voropoyeva]], said, "We, the Donetsk People's Republic, still control the building. There was an attempted provocation but now it's over."<ref name=mariupolapril24reuters/>
On the same day, Ukrainian government officials said that the Armed Forces had intended to retake the city of Sloviansk, but that an increased threat of "Russian invasion" halted these operations.<ref name=kp24/> Russian forces had mobilised within {{convert|10|km|mi|frac=4}} of the Ukrainian border.<ref name="kp24">{{Cite news |date=24 April 2014 |title=Senior security official: Anti-terror operation suspended as Russian troops amass on border |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/5-dead-one-wounded-as-anti-terror-operation-continues-in-sloviansk-live-updates-344902.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424133143/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/5-dead-one-wounded-as-anti-terror-operation-continues-in-sloviansk-live-updates-344902.html |archive-date=24 April 2014}}</ref> The officials said that seven troops were killed during the day's operations. President Turchynov issued a statement later in the day, and said that the "Anti-Terrorist Operation" would be resumed, citing the ongoing [[hostage crisis]] in [[Sloviansk]] as a reason.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 April 2014 |title=Антитеррористическая операция возобновлена – Турчинов: Новости УНИАН |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |url=http://www.unian.net/politics/911391-antiterroristicheskaya-operatsiya-vozobnovlena-turchinov.html |access-date=3 May 2014}}</ref> By 6 May 14 Ukrainian troops had died and 66 had been injured in the fighting.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 May 2014 |title=14 servicemen die, 66 injured during special operation in eastern Ukraine |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/14-servicemen-die-66-injured-during-special-operation-in-eastern-ukraine-346679.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508130729/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/14-servicemen-die-66-injured-during-special-operation-in-eastern-ukraine-346679.html |archive-date=8 May 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref>
[[File:Standoff between locals and Ukrainian forces in Mariupol, 9 May 2014 (6).jpg|thumb|Standoff between pro-Russian locals and Ukrainian forces in [[Mariupol]], 9 May 2014]]
Early in the morning on 7 May, the National Guard retook the city administration in Mariupol after heavy fighting with insurgents overnight.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 May 2014 |title=Putin cools rhetoric, but NATO disputes claims of troop pullback |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com//news/world/ukrainian-forces-retake-city-hall-in-eastern-port-of-mariupol/article18505621/?click=dlvr.it |access-date=14 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515123018/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/try-it-now/?articleId=18505621 |archive-date=15 May 2014}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=January 2021}} Anti-government demonstrators said that government forces had used tear gas during the operation, resulting in injuries when the demonstrators tried to re-occupy the building after the National Guard withdrew.<ref name="ada242daw">{{Cite news |last=Robinson |first=Matt |date=7 May 2014 |title=Ukraine forces briefly occupy city hall in eastern Mariupol |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-mariupol-idAFKBN0DN0XF20140507 |access-date=7 November 2020}}</ref> By the morning of 7 May, the flag of the DPR was once again flying over the building.<ref name="ada242daw" />
Ukrainian troops launched another attack on insurgents in Mariupol on 9 May. During an assault on an occupied police building, that building was set alight by government forces, causing the insurgents to flee.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Keegan |first=Simon |date=9 May 2014 |title=21 dead as Ukraine police station set on fire in a bid to drive out pro-Russians |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/mariupol-police-station-fire-21-3518352 |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Daily Mirror}}</ref> Arsen Avakov said that 60 insurgents attacked the police building, not Ukrainian troops and that the police and other government forces had managed to repel the insurgents. Between six and twenty militants were killed, along with one police officer.<ref name="newsinfo">{{Cite web |date=10 May 2014 |title=At least 7 dead in southeastern Ukraine port city |url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/601080/at-least-7-dead-in-southeastern-ukraine-port-city |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Philippine Daily Inquirer}}</ref> Four militants were captured, and five policemen were wounded.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine crisis: 'three people killed' in fighting at Mariupol police station |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/09/ukraine-crisis-mariupol-police-station |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=The Guardian|date=9 May 2014 }}</ref>
One armoured personnel carrier was captured by pro-Russian protesters during the fighting. After the clashes, pro-Russian forces built barricades across the city centre.<ref name="newsinfo" /> Concurrently, ''Ukrainian National News'' said that separatists attempted to disarm Ukrainian troops near Donetsk. The troops resisted by firing warning shots, and arresting 100 of the separatists.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 August 2013 |title=By Donetsk military detained about a hundred separatists |url=http://www.unn.com.ua/uk/news/1340433-za-donetskom-viyskovi-zatrimali-blizko-sotni-separatistiv |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Unn.com.ua}}</ref> Also, an unnamed [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)]] priest attempted to negotiate with separatists near [[Druzhkivka]], but was later killed after being shot eight times.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ЛIГАБiзнесIнформИнформационное агентство |date=9 May 2014 |title=Террористы убили православного священника – СМИ |url=http://news.liga.net/news/politics/1670990-terroristy_ubili_pravoslavnogo_svyashchennika_smi.htm |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=News.liga.net}}</ref> This was confirmed by the Church and the Prosecutor's Office.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 May 2014 |title=Ukrainian Orthodox Church confirms priest murdered in Donetsk region |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-orthodox-church-confirms-priest-murdered-in-donetsk-region-347180.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140902042404/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-orthodox-church-confirms-priest-murdered-in-donetsk-region-347180.html |archive-date=2 September 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref>
=== May 2014: post-referendum fighting ===
{{See also|Novorossiya (confederation)}}
[[File:2014-05-11. Референдум в Донецке 021.jpg|thumb|left|The [[2014 Donetsk and Luhansk status referendums|referendum]] organised by pro-Russian separatists. A line to enter a polling place in [[Donetsk]], 11 May 2014]]
[[File:Karlovka 23 May 2014.jpg|thumbnail|Church of the Holy Epiphany in Karlivka on 23 May]]
It was reported on 12 May that, following [[2014 Donetsk and Luhansk status referendums|the local autonomy referendum]], the [[Donbas People's Militia]] leader [[Igor Girkin]] declared himself "Supreme Commander" of the Donetsk People's Republic. In his decree, he demanded that all military stationed in the region swear an oath of allegiance to him within 48 hours, and said that all remaining Ukrainian military in the region would 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".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Daryna Krasnolutska |last2=Kateryna Choursina |last3=Anton Doroshev |date=12 May 2014 |title=Ukraine Rebels Seek to Join Russia as Gas Deadline Is Set |work=Bloomberg Business Week |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-05-12/russia-signals-respect-for-ukraine-s-separatist-referendums |access-date=12 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513065029/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-05-12/russia-signals-respect-for-ukraine-s-separatist-referendums |archive-date=13 May 2014}}</ref> [[Pavel Gubarev]], president of Donetsk People's Republic, instituted martial law on 15 May, and vowed for "total annihilation" of Ukrainian forces if they did not pull out of the [[Donbas]] by 21:00. Similarly, the president of the Luhansk People's Republic, [[Valery Bolotov]], declared martial law on 22 May.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 May 2014 |title=11 Ukrainian Soldiers Killed in Attack By Pro-Russian Separatists in East |publisher=Rttnews.com |url=http://www.rttnews.com/2326351/11-ukrainian-soldiers-killed-in-attack-by-pro-russian-separatists-in-east.aspx?type=gn |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>
The Donetsk-based steel magnate [[Rinat Akhmetov]] called on his 300,000 employees within the Donetsk region to "rally against separatists" on 20 May. Sirens sounded at noon at his factories to signal the beginning of the rally.<ref name="hewasin1city">{{Cite news |date=20 May 2014 |title=Ukrainian tycoon's calls for rallies against separatists go largely unheeded |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/ukrainian-tycoons-calls-for-rallies-against-separatists-go-largely-unheeded/2014/05/20/567deaae-e00e-11e3-9743-bb9b59cde7b9_story.html |access-date=20 May 2014}}</ref> A so-called "Peace March" was held in the [[Donbass Arena|Donbas Arena]] in [[Donetsk]] city, accompanied by cars sounding their horns at noon.<ref name="APM20514">[https://news.pn/en/politics/104499 Akhmetov called a strike at the enterprises in protest], Ukrainian Media Group (20 May 2014)<br />[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27483719 Ukrainian tycoon Rinat Akhmetov confronts rebellion], [[BBC News]] (20 May 2014)<br />[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/205611.html Akhmetov's "Peace March" in Donetsk took 20 minutes], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (20 May 2014)<br />[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/205526.html Businessman Akhmetov condemns 'genocide of Donbas,' calls for peaceful rally against 'Donetsk People's Republic'], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (20 May 2014)</ref> [[BBC News]] and ''[[Ukrayinska Pravda]]'' reported that some vehicles were attacked by separatists, and that gunmen had warned the offices of several city taxi services not to take part.<ref name=APM20514/> In response to Akhmetov's refusal to pay taxes to the Donetsk People's Republic, on 20 May the chairman of the State Council of the DPR, [[Denis Pushilin]], announced that the Republic would attempt to nationalise Akhmetov's assets.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 May 2014 |script-title=uk:Сепаратисти відповіли Ахметову оголошенням "націоналізації" |language=uk |trans-title=Separatists responded to Akhmetov with an announcement of "nationalisation" |agency=Ukrainian Pravda |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/05/20/7025874/ |access-date=30 July 2015}}</ref> On 25 May, between 2,000 and 5,000 protesters marched to Akhmetov's mansion in Donetsk city, and demanded the nationalisation of Akhmetov's property, while chanting "Akhmetov is an enemy of the people!".<ref name="itartassakhmetov">{{Cite news |date=25 May 2014 |title=Donetsk republic, Akhmetov's reps fail to agree on his companies' nationalization |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/733219 |access-date=27 May 2014}}</ref>
18 soldiers were killed during an insurgent attack upon an army checkpoint near the city of [[Volnovakha]], on 22 May.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 May 2014 |title=Ukrainian army death toll in Volnovakha soars to 18 |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-army-death-toll-in-volnovakha-soars-to-18-349005.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523225452/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-army-death-toll-in-volnovakha-soars-to-18-349005.html |archive-date=23 May 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref> Three armoured personnel carriers and several lorries were destroyed in the attack, whilst one insurgent was killed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 May 2014 |title=AP journalists see 11 dead at Ukraine checkpoint |agency=Associated Press |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/russian-trains-planes-move-army-away-ukraine |access-date=22 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522123057/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/russian-trains-planes-move-army-away-ukraine |archive-date=22 May 2014}}</ref> On the same day, a convoy consisting of 100 soldiers attempted to cross a bridge at [[Rubizhne]], Luhansk Oblast, and advance into insurgent-held territory.<ref name="KyivPost26May14">[http://www.kyivpost.com/multimedia/photo/burned-houses-military-vehicles-remain-after-fierce-fight-in-luhansk-oblast-that-killed-at-least-nine-people-on-may-22-349531.html Kyiv Post], ''Burned houses, military vehicles remain after a fierce fight in Luhansk Oblast that killed at least nine people on 22 May'', by [[Anastasia Vlasova (journalist)|Anastasia Vlasova]] and Oksana Grytsenko, 26 May 2014. This article is currently [29 June 2014] entitled: ''Reconstructing the deadly 22 May firefight near the Siversky Donets River in Luhansk Oblast'' on the newspaper website.</ref> They were ambushed by a group of between 300 and 500 insurgents. After fighting that lasted throughout the day, the soldiers were forced to retreat. Between two and fourteen soldiers and between seven and twenty insurgents were killed during the fighting. Three army infantry combat vehicles and one lorry were destroyed, and another three armoured vehicles were captured by the insurgents.<ref name=KyivPost26May14/><ref name="npr.org">{{Cite news |last=Alpert |first=Lukas I. |date=23 May 2014 |title=Putin Promises To Respect Ukraine's Election |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303749904579579601942418022 |access-date=14 October 2014}}</ref> The Internal Affairs Ministry stated that some insurgents had attempted to enter Luhansk Oblast from Russia, but had been repelled by border guards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine crisis: Seventeen killed in clashes with pro-Russian separatists near Donetsk – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |date=22 May 2014 |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-22/ukraine-deaths-in-clashes-with-pro-russian-separatists/5472190 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref>
Following a declaration by Pavel Gubarev establishing the "[[New Russia Party]]" on 22 May, representatives of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics signed an agreement creating the [[Confederation|confederative]] state of [[New Russia (state)|New Russia]]. Separatists planned to incorporate most of Ukraine's southern and eastern regions into the new confederation, including the key cities of [[Kharkiv]], [[Kherson]], [[Dnipropetrovsk]], [[Mykolaiv]], [[Zaporizhzhia]] and [[Odessa]].<ref name="NPUP23512">{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/05/23/7026209/ In Donetsk, created the party "New Russia"], [[Ukrayinska Pravda]] (23 May 2014)</ref> The declaration signed established the position of Russian Orthodoxy as the state religion and an intention to nationalise key industries.<ref name="welcomenr">{{Cite news |last=Babiak |first=Mat |date=22 May 2014 |title=Welcome to New Russia |work=Ukrainian Policy |url=http://ukrainianpolicy.com/welcome-to-new-russia/ |access-date=16 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523114538/http://ukrainianpolicy.com/welcome-to-new-russia/ |archive-date=23 May 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Secessionists barricade in Luhansk.jpg|right|thumb|Separatist barricade in [[Luhansk]] city]]
A unit of the pro-government [[Donbas Battalion]] volunteer paramilitary attempted to advance on a separatist checkpoint near the village of [[Karlivka, Donetsk Oblast|Karlivka]], northwest of Donetsk city, on 23 May.<ref name="battalionambushed">{{Cite web |last=Mark Rachkevych |date=23 May 2014 |title=Ukrainian Donbas Battalion ambushed in Donetsk Oblast village; at least five killed |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-donbas-battalion-ambushed-in-donetsk-oblast-village-at-least-one-killed-349026.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523183136/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-donbas-battalion-ambushed-in-donetsk-oblast-village-at-least-one-killed-349026.html |archive-date=23 May 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref> They were ambushed by a group of between 150 and 200 separatists, supported by one of the captured armoured personnel carriers. The pro-government paramilitary was surrounded by the separatists, and outnumbered six to one until fighters affiliated with the nationalist [[Right Sector]] broke through the separatist lines to allow some members of the group to escape.<ref name="battalionambushed" />
Five members of the Donbas Battalion were killed, along with four separatists.<ref name="battalionambushed" /> Twenty members of the pro-government paramilitaries were wounded, and at least four were captured. The involvement of Right Sector was disputed by the leadership of the Donbas Battalion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=публикация Дмитрия Тымчука. |title=ИС: Батальон "Донбасс" отрицает участие "Правого сектора" в столкновениях под Карловкой 23 мая – Украина |url=http://zn.ua/UKRAINE/is-batalon-donbass-otricaet-uchastie-pravogo-sektora-v-stolknoveniyah-pod-karlovkoy-23-maya-145716_.html |access-date=12 June 2014 |publisher=zn.ua}}</ref> Pro-Russian leader [[Igor Bezler]] said that he executed all of the captured paramilitaries.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Бєс" Заявив Командиру "Донбасу", Що Вбив Усіх Полонених |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/05/23/7026275/ |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Ukrayinska Pravda}}</ref> Another separatist leader confirmed four of their fighters were killed, and also said that ten pro-government paramilitaries and two civilians died.<ref name="npr.org" /> During the same day, two pro-Russian separatists were killed during an assault by the pro-government "Ukraine Battalion" paramilitary on an occupied local government building in [[Torez]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Two killed and two more wounded in Torez, Donetsk regional administration reports |url=http://24tv.ua/home/showSingleNews.do?two_killed_and_two_more_wounded_in_torez_donetsk_regional_administration_reports&objectId=446161&lang=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528041115/http://24tv.ua/home/showSingleNews.do?two_killed_and_two_more_wounded_in_torez_donetsk_regional_administration_reports&objectId=446161&lang=en |archive-date=28 May 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=24tv.ua |language=uk}}</ref>
==== Airport battle and fighting in Luhansk ====
{{Main|First Battle of Donetsk Airport}}
On the morning of 26 May 200 pro-Russian insurgents, including members of the [[Combatants of the war in Donbas#Vostok Battalion|Vostok Battalion]], captured the main terminal of the [[Donetsk International Airport]], erected roadblocks around it, and demanded that government forces withdraw.<ref name="dozens">{{Cite news |last=A. Roth and S. Tavernise |date=27 May 2014 |title=Dozens of Separatists Killed in Ukraine Army Attack |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/world/europe/ukraine.html |access-date=7 November 2014}}</ref> Soon after these demands were issued, the Ukrainian National Guard issued an ultimatum to the separatists, asking them to surrender. This was subsequently rejected. Government forces then launched an assault on separatist positions at the airport with paratroopers and airstrikes.<ref name="paratroopers">{{Cite news |last1=Paton Walsh |first1=Nick |last2=Smith-Spark |first2=Laura |date=27 May 2014 |title=Ukraine: Fighting closes Donetsk airport, claims dozens of lives |publisher=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/27/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html |access-date=13 November 2019}}</ref> Attack helicopters were also used by government forces. They targeted a separatist-operated anti-aircraft gun.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 May 2014 |title=Ukrainian army battles Kremlin-backed separatists in Donetsk; at least one civilian killed in crossfire |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainians-vote-in-momentous-may-25-election-to-pick-nations-fifth-president-live-updates-349211.html |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref>
An estimated 40 insurgents died in the fighting, with some civilians caught in the crossfire.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zawadzki |first=Sabina |date=27 May 2014 |title=Reuters Fighting rages in Ukraine eastern city, dozens dead |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-fighting-idUKKBN0E70N820140527 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>
Between 15 and 35 insurgents were killed in a single incident, when two lorries carrying wounded fighters away from the airport were destroyed in an ambush by government forces.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
During the fighting at the airport, [[Druzhba Arena]] in Donetsk city was ransacked by pro-Russian insurgents, who looted the building and destroyed surveillance equipment, and set it ablaze.<ref name="reut27">{{Cite news |date=27 May 2014 |title=Fighting rages in eastern Ukraine city, dozens dead |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-fighting-idUSKBN0E70OA20140527}}</ref> Concurrently, Donetsk police said the insurgents had killed two policemen in the nearby town of Horlivka. ''The Moscow Times'' reported that the two men had been executed for "breaking their oath to the Donetsk People's Republic".<ref name=reut27 />
Luhansk People's Republic-affiliated insurgents attacked a [[Ukrainian National Guard]] unit in the early hours of 28 May.<ref name="enca28may">{{Cite news |date=28 May 2014 |title=Ukraine forces attacked, suffer losses in Lugansk |publisher=ENCA |url=http://www.enca.com/world/ukraine-forces-attacked-suffer-losses-lugansk |access-date=29 May 2014}}</ref>
=== Escalation in May and June 2014 ===
[[Mykhailo Koval]], the Minister of Defence, said on 30 May that Ukrainian government forces had "completely cleared" the insurgents from the southern and western parts of Donetsk Oblast and the northern part of Luhansk Oblast.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 May 2014 |title=Ukraine completely clears part of separatist east from rebels – Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!7 |publisher=Yahoo! News |url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/23991750/ukraine-completely-clears-part-of-separatist-east-from-rebels/ |access-date=12 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531110011/https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/23991750/ukraine-completely-clears-part-of-separatist-east-from-rebels/ |archive-date=31 May 2014}}</ref> Meanwhile, an internal coup replaced the leadership of the Donetsk People's Republic, and some bodies of Russian fighters killed in the airport battle were repatriated to Russia.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{Cite news |last=Oliphant |first=Roland |date=29 May 2014 |title=Ukraine's rebels in crisis after Donetsk 'coup' |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10863933/Ukraines-rebels-in-crisis-after-Donetsk-coup.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10863933/Ukraines-rebels-in-crisis-after-Donetsk-coup.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=12 June 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
==== Luhansk border post siege ====
{{Main|Siege of the Luhansk Border Base}}
Two separatists were killed in a skirmish with Ukrainian border guards on 31 May.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anna Nemtsova |title=I Was Held at Gunpoint by Ukraine Rebels |newspaper=The Daily Beast |date=31 May 2014 |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/31/i-was-held-at-gunpoint-by-ukraine-rebels.html |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Thedailybeast.com}}</ref> Two days later, five separatists were killed when 500 separatists attacked a border post in Luhansk Oblast. Eleven border guards and eight separatists were wounded during the fighting,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Luke Harding and agencies in Luhansk |title=Ukraine: pro-Russia rebels killed attempting to storm border guard base |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/02/pro-russion-rebels-killed-in-attack-on-east-ukraine-border-base |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=The Guardian|date=2 June 2014 }}</ref> which also killed one civilian.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thomas Grove |date=3 June 2014 |title=Fog of war falls heavy after violence in eastern Ukraine region |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-luhansk-violence-idUKKBN0EE25420140603 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>
==== 2 June Luhansk airstrike ====
[[File:Lugansk-2014-06-18.jpeg|thumbnail|Civilians killed by an airstrike in Luhansk, 18 June 2014]]
On 2 June, eight people were killed and more than 20 wounded by a series of explosions hitting the occupied RSA building in Luhansk city.<ref name="CNN-2014-06-03" /> Separatists blamed the incident on a government airstrike, while Ukrainian officials denied this, and claimed that the explosions were caused by a stray surface-to-air missile fired by insurgents.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 June 2014 |title=At least two killed in Ukraine explosion |url=http://ewn.co.za/2014/06/02/Two-killed-in-Ukraine-explosion |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Ewn.co.za}}</ref> The [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE) published a report on the next day, stating that based on "limited observation", they believed that the explosion was caused by an airstrike, supporting separatist claims.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Christopher J. Miller |date=3 June 2014 |title=Two Ukrainian troops killed in battles with insurgents on 3 June; OSCE says Luhansk blast on June 2 likely caused by airstrike (UPDATES, VIDEO) |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/heavy-fighting-in-eastern-ukraine-as-government-restarts-active-phase-of-anti-terror-operation-350453.html |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref>
A CNN investigation found clear evidence that the attack came from the air and the pattern of the craters suggested use of standard equipment on the Su-25, a ground-attack fighter, and the Su-27 – both combat aircraft operated by Ukraine.<ref name="CNN-2014-06-03">{{Citation |last1=Magnay |first1=Diana |title=Air attack on pro-Russian separatists in Luhansk kills 8, stuns residents |date=3 June 2014 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/03/world/europe/ukraine-luhansk-building-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_c1 |publisher=CNN |access-date=4 June 2014 |last2=Tom Lister}}</ref>
Analysis of [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|Radio Liberty]] also concluded that "Despite Denials, All Evidence For Deadly Explosion Points To Kyiv".<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 June 2014 |title=Despite Denials, All Evidence For Deadly Explosion Points To Kyiv |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |url=http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-unspun-luhansk-blast/25410384.html |access-date=4 May 2017}}</ref> CNN believed that it was the first time that civilians had been killed in an attack by the Ukrainian air force during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Donbas.<ref name="CNN-2014-06-03" /> The next day, [[Luhansk People's Republic]] declared a three-day mourning in the city.<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 June 2014 |title=Болотов объявил в Луганске трехдневный траур по погибшим (Bolotov declared a three-day mourning over the killed in Luhansk) |work=Вести vesti-ukr |url=http://vesti-ukr.com/donbass/54943-bolotov-objavil-v-luganske-trehdnevnyj-traur-po-pogibshim |access-date=28 May 2017}}</ref>
====Continued fighting====
[[File:2014-06-03. Протесты в Донецке 015.JPG|thumbnail|Vostok Battalion members dismantling the barricade at Donetsk RSA on 3 June]]
Government forces destroyed a separatist stronghold in Semenivka, and regained control of [[Krasnyi Lyman]] on 3 June.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Northern Donetsk region cleared of insurgents, part of Luhansk region border closed |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine-abroad/northern-donetsk-region-cleared-of-insurgents-part-of-luhansk-region-border-closed-350518.html |access-date=26 August 2014 |website=Kyiv Post|date=3 June 2014 }}</ref> Two soldiers were killed in the fighting, and forty-five were wounded. A spokesman for the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that 300 insurgents were killed during the operation and that 500 were wounded. Insurgents said they lost between 10 and 50 men.<ref name="conflicting">{{Cite news |date=4 June 2014 |title=Conflicting accounts in heightened eastern Ukraine fighting |publisher=CNN |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/04/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/ |access-date=14 October 2014}}</ref> They said that at least 25 were killed while in hospital at Krasnyi Lyman.<ref>{{Cite news |last=<%= item.timeFlag %> |title=Ukrainian troops kill more than 25 people in Krasny Liman hospital |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/734712 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> None of these reports were independently confirmed, and both sides denied the other's accounts of the battle.<ref name="conflicting" />
On the next day, insurgents captured the besieged Luhansk border post, as well as a National Guard base near Luhansk city. The fighting in these areas left six insurgents dead, and three government soldiers wounded. Another border post was captured by the insurgents in [[Sverdlovsk, Ukraine|Sverdlovsk]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 August 2014 |title=Rebels Seize 3 Government Bases in Eastern Ukraine |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/militants-killed-ukrainian-troops-injured-23984915 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140604202112/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/militants-killed-ukrainian-troops-injured-23984915 |archive-date=4 June 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |work=ABC News}}</ref> The National Guard base fell after guardsmen ran out of ammunition. Separatists had earlier seized vast quantities of munitions from the captured border post.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Qena |first=Nebi |date=4 June 2014 |title=6 militants killed, 3 Ukrainian troops injured in Luhansk |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/1373185/6-militants-killed-3-ukrainian-troops-injured/ |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Globalnews.ca}}</ref>
Another border post was attacked on 5 June, in the village of [[Marynivka]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Separatists kill member of Ukrainian special forces |url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/140606/separatists-eastern-ukraine-attack-border-post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607133444/http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/140606/separatists-eastern-ukraine-attack-border-post |archive-date=7 June 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Globalpost.com}}</ref> Government officials said that between 15 and 16 insurgents were killed and that 5 soldiers were injured as well.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine says 15 rebels killed in border clash – Europe |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/06/ukraine-says-15-rebels-killed-border-clash-2014667936400443.html |access-date=12 June 2014 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref> A shootout between rival separatist groups in Donetsk city took place on 7 June, near the Donetsk RSA. The vice-president of the Donetsk People's Republic, Maxim Petrukhin, was killed in the fighting, and president [[Denis Pushilin]] was wounded.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 June 2014 |title=У Донецьку застрелили помічника головного місцевого терориста. Пушиліна поранено | Українська правда |url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/06/7/7028405/ |access-date=12 June 2014 |website=Ukrayinska Pravda}}</ref>
==== Russian tank incursion ====
Ukrainian officials said that Russia had allowed tanks to cross the Russo-Ukrainian border into Donetsk Oblast on 11 June. Internal Affairs Minister [[Arsen Avakov]] said "we have observed columns passing with armoured personnel carriers, other armoured vehicles and artillery pieces, and tanks which, according to our information, came across the border and this morning were in [[Snizhne]]". He continued by saying Ukrainian forces had destroyed part of the column, and that fighting was still under way. [[Reuters]] correspondents confirmed the presence of three tanks in Donetsk city, and the US [[State Department of the United States|State Department]]'s [[Bureau of Intelligence and Research]] also said that Russia had indeed sent tanks, along with other heavy weapons, to the separatists in Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zinets |first=Natalia |date=12 June 2014 |title=Ukraine accuses Russia of letting rebels bring in tanks |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-tanks-idUSKBN0EN1KS20140612 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>
The weapons sent are said to include: a column of three [[T-64]] tanks, several [[BM-21 Grad]] multiple rocket launchers, and other military vehicles. "Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area," the State Department said in a statement. "We are confident that these tanks came from Russia."<ref name="timestanks">{{Cite news |last=Gordon |first=Michael R. |date=13 June 2014 |title=Russia Has Sent Tanks to Ukraine Rebels, U.S. Says |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/14/world/europe/russia-has-sent-tanks-to-ukraine-rebels-us-says.html?emc=edit_na_20140613&nlid=13240517}}</ref> The [[2014 Ukrainian presidential election|newly elected]] Ukrainian president, [[Petro Poroshenko]], said that it was "unacceptable" for tanks to be crossing into Ukraine. Russia called the reports "another fake piece of information."<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 June 2014 |title=Ukraine says 'Russian tank incursion' unacceptable |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27815441 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> Nevertheless, the three tanks were later spotted moving through [[Makiivka]] and [[Torez]], flying the flag of the Russian Federation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Російські танки вже в Макіївці |url=http://www.hromadske.tv/society/rosiiski-tanki-vzhe-v-makiyivtsi/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614045414/http://www.hromadske.tv/society/rosiiski-tanki-vzhe-v-makiyivtsi/ |archive-date=14 June 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Hromadske.tv}}</ref> Insurgents confirmed that they had obtained three tanks, but leaders refused to elaborate on how they acquired them; one militant told reporters that they originated "from a military warehouse".<ref name="BBC News T6413614" />
The president of the DPR, [[Denis Pushilin]], stated that the three tanks would be stationed in Donetsk city and that they gave his forces "at least some hope of defending [Donetsk] because heavy weapons are already being used against us."<ref name="BBC News T6413614">[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27829773 Ukraine crisis: Kiev forces win back Mariupol], [[BBC News]] (13 June 2014)</ref> Konstantin Mashovets, a former Ukrainian Defence Ministry official, said the tanks had likely been seized by Russian forces in Crimea before making their way into mainland Ukraine. Anton Heraschenko, an advisor to Arsen Avakov, confirmed at a briefing in Kyiv that the tanks were once in the possession of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in [[Crimea]], and that they had been transferred by sea to Russia before crossing the border into Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Christopher Miller 3:55 UTC |date=13 June 2014 |title=Ukrainian Forces Seize Crucial Port City From Pro-Russia Separatists |url=http://mashable.com/2014/06/13/ukraine-seize-port-city-russia-separatists/ |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Mashable.com}}</ref>
[[File:2014-06-12. War in Donbass 20.JPG|thumb|[[BTR-80]] in Ukrainian service, 12 June 2014]]
On the day after the tank incursion, three soldiers were killed when they were ambushed by insurgents in [[Stepanivka]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=AFP 3:02 am BST 14 June 2014 |date=14 June 2014 |title=US accuses Russia of sending rocket launchers to Ukraine rebels |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10899655/US-accuses-Russia-of-sending-rocket-launchers-to-Ukraine-rebels.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10899655/US-accuses-Russia-of-sending-rocket-launchers-to-Ukraine-rebels.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=26 August 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Heavy fighting resumed during the morning of 13 June, when the government launched a new attack against insurgents in Mariupol. Ukrainian troops managed to recapture the city, and declared it the "provisional capital" of Donetsk Oblast until the government regains control over Donetsk city.<ref name="mariupol">{{Cite web |date=13 June 2014 |title=Ukraine Troops Storm Rebel-Held Buildings |url=http://news.sky.com/story/1281593/ukraine-troops-storm-rebel-held-buildings |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=BSkyB}}</ref> Meanwhile, an agreement between the Minister of Internal Affairs, Arsen Avakov, and the president of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, meant to create a ceasefire and allow civilians to escape the violence in Sloviansk failed, with both sides blaming each other for launching new attacks.<ref>[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/209148.html Ukrainian interior minister blames 'militia' for ceasefire talks' failure], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (12 June 2014)</ref> During the next morning, a convoy of border guardsmen was attacked by insurgents while passing Mariupol, leaving at least five of the guardsmen dead.<ref name="convoy">{{Cite web |title=В Мариуполе на пост-мосту расстреляли колонну пограничников. Есть погибшие (ФОТО+ВИДЕО) |url=https://www.0629.com.ua/news/555391/v-mariupole-na-post-mostu-rasstrelali-kolonnu-pogranicnikov-est-pogibsie-fotovideo |website=0629.com.ua – Сайт города Мариуполя}}</ref>
==== Ilyushin Il-76 shoot-down ====
{{Main|Ukrainian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 shoot-down}}
A [[Ukrainian Air Force]] [[Ilyushin Il-76]]MD was shot down by forces aligned with the [[Luhansk People's Republic]] on 14 June.<ref name="shootdown">{{Cite news |last=Kolyandr |first=Alexander |date=14 June 2014 |title=Dozens Killed as Ukrainian Transport Plane Is Shot Down by Rebels in Luhansk |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-transport-plane-shot-down-by-pro-russian-separatists-in-luhansk-1402736354 |access-date=27 June 2014}}</ref> The aircraft was preparing to land at [[Luhansk International Airport]], and was carrying troops and equipment from an undisclosed location. All 49 people on board died.<ref name="shootdown" /> Meanwhile, two T-72 tanks entered Donetsk, and a skirmish erupted at a military checkpoint in Luhansk, lasting two days.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 June 2014 |title=Terrorists drove two Russian tanks T-72 to Donetsk – NSDC representative: UNIAN news |url=http://www.unian.info/politics/930099-terrorists-drove-two-russian-tanks-t-72-to-donetsk-nsdc-representative.html |access-date=8 July 2014 |publisher=Unian.info}}</ref>
==== Battle of Yampil ====
Late on 19 June, a battle fought with tanks and armoured vehicles broke out in the town of [[Yampil, Donetsk Oblast|Yampil]], near government-held [[Krasnyi Lyman]]. Up to 4,000 insurgents were present for the fighting, which started, according to the insurgents, after the Armed Forces attempted to capture insurgent-held Yampil,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vasovic |first=Aleksandar |date=19 June 2014 |title=Ukraine rebels speak of heavy losses in battle against government troops |work=Reuters |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-fighting-idINKBN0EU0S320140619 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> with the goal of breaking through to [[Siversk]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=<%= item.timeFlag %> |title=Ukrainian army using attack aviation, tanks to seize Yampol village |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/736846 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> According to the Armed Forces, it started after insurgents attempted to break through a cordon of government troops around government-held Krasny Lyman. The battle was described as exceeding "in terms of force and scale anything there has been" during the conflict in Donbas.<ref name="BBC192014">{{Cite news |date=19 June 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: EU deal to be signed on 27 June |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27919047}}</ref>
The Armed Forces deployed both air and artillery strikes in their attempts to rout the insurgents.<ref name="whitehouse">{{Cite news |last=M. R. Gordon and D. M. Herszenhorn |date=20 June 2014 |title=As Ukraine Announces Cease-Fire, White House Points Finger at Russia |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/21/world/europe/ukraine.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1 |access-date=7 November 2014}}</ref> The battle continued into the next day. Overnight, between 7 and 12 soldiers were killed and between 25 and 30 were wounded. The Armed Forces said they killed 300 insurgents, but this was not independently verified,<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 June 2014 |title=7 Ukrainian troops killed, rebels operate tanks – The Washington Post |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/7-ukrainian-troops-killed-in-overnight-fighting/2014/06/20/9078b184-f847-11e3-8118-eae4d5b48c7d_story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140620110444/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/7-ukrainian-troops-killed-in-overnight-fighting/2014/06/20/9078b184-f847-11e3-8118-eae4d5b48c7d_story.html |archive-date=20 June 2014}}</ref> the separatists confirmed only two deaths and seven wounded on their side.<ref name=whitehouse/> The insurgents also said they destroyed one tank, several [[BMD-1]]s, and also shot down a [[Sukhoi Su-25|Su-25]] bomber.<ref>[http://rian.com.ua/incidents/20140619/353606933.html Над поселком Ямполь сбит самолет Су-25 – ополченцы] (Su-25 shot down above the village of Yampil – militia) RIA Novosti. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014</ref>
The Ukrainian military said that they had gained control of Yampil and Siversk on 20 June 20 hours before a unilateral ceasefire by Ukrainian forces, as part of Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko's [[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine#Fifteen-point peace plan|15-point peace plan]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 June 2014 |title=Ukrainian military free Yampil in Donetsk Region from terrorists – NSDC |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-military-free-yampil-in-donetsk-region-from-terrorists-nsdc-352725.html |access-date=20 June 2014}}</ref> They also acknowledged that there was still heavy fighting in the area around Yampil, and the village of Zakitne.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 June 2014 |title=силовики заняли Северск, – ОГА |url=http://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/v-donetskoy-obl-siloviki-zanyali-seversk---oga-20062014171300 |publisher=RBC News}}</ref> By this point, the number of soldiers killed in the battle had reached 13.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine declares week-long ceasefire in fight against separatists |date=20 June 2014 |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20140620-ukraine-week-long-ceasefire-fight-separatists-east-russia/ |access-date=14 October 2014 |publisher=France 24}}</ref> During the continued fighting, militants blew up a bridge over a river in the village of Zakitne.<ref>[http://rian.com.ua/incidents/20140620/353674204.html Ополченцы заявили, что взорвали мост на севере Донецкой области]. RIA Novosti, 20 June 2014</ref>
=== July 2014: post-ceasefire government offensive ===
{{See also|Great Raid of 2014}}
After [[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine#Fifteen-point peace plan|a week-long ceasefire]] unilaterally declared by Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]] ended, the Armed Forces renewed their operations against the insurgents on 1 July. Shelling occurred in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, and government forces retook a border crossing in [[Dolzhansk]], one of the three major border crossings occupied by the separatists. Government forces also recaptured the villages of [[Brusivka]] and [[Stary Karavan]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Luhn |first=Alec |date=1 July 2014 |title=Ukraine retakes border crossing from rebels as Poroshenko goes on attack |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/01/ukraine-petro-poroshenko-goes-on-attack |access-date=16 July 2014}}</ref> On the same day, insurgents in Luhansk said that they had taken control of [[Luhansk International Airport]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 July 2014 |title=Rebels claim control over Luhansk airport |work=Kyiv Post |agency=Interfax-Ukraine |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/rebels-claim-control-over-luhansk-airport-354221.html}}</ref> On 1 July 2014 in Donetsk a street gunfight broke between rival factions of pro-Russian militants, which resulted in one person being fatally wounded and two others in critical conditions.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.62.ua/news/567104 Strange war in Donetsk – how DNR battalions fought against DNR militants]. 62 (Donetsk city portal). 2 July 2014</ref>
Internal Affairs Ministry spokesman Zoryan Shkyriak said that over 1,000 pro-Russian insurgents were killed in the first day following the resumption of hostilities.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 July 2014 |script-title=uk:За перший день відновлення АТО силовики знищили понад 1000 бойовиків |language=uk |trans-title=In the first day of resumption of the ATO, security forces killed more than 1,000 militants |agency=TSN |url=http://tsn.ua/politika/za-pershiy-den-vidnovlennya-ato-siloviki-znischili-ponad-1000-boyovikiv-357144.html |access-date=25 November 2014}}</ref> Liga.net, citing a source involved with the government military operation, reported that over 400 insurgents were killed in action, but that the higher figures reported earlier could not be confirmed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 July 2014 |script-title=ru:Первые сутки возобновления АТО: потери, пленные, новое оружие |trans-title=First days of the resumption of ATO: losses, prisoners, new weapons |url=http://news.liga.net/articles/politics/2373601-posle_peremiriya_v_pervyy_den_ato_ubito_bolshe_400_boevikov.htm |access-date=6 March 2015 |website=liga.net |language=ru}}</ref> Separatists themselves reported only two deaths in fighting at [[Mykolaivka, Donetsk Oblast|Mykolaivka]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Russia and Ukraine 'agree steps' towards new truce |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28139139 |access-date=14 October 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Damaged apartment building in Donetsk, July 14, 2014.jpg|thumb|Damaged block of flats in Donetsk, 14 July 2014]]
Insurgents attacked a border post in [[Novoazovsk]] on 2 July. During the attack, [[Mortar (weapon)|mortars]] were fired upon the post, and clashes broke out. One border guard was killed in the fighting, and another eight guardsmen were injured.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 July 2014 |title=Guard killed in attack on border post, Ukraine says |publisher=Fox News |url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/07/02/guard-killed-in-attack-on-border-post-ukraine-says/?intcmp=latestnews}}</ref> Government forces recaptured the town of [[Mykolaivka, Donetsk Oblast|Mykolaivka]], near Sloviansk, on 4 July. A group of DPR-affiliated militants defected as a result, and joined the Ukrainian army.<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 July 2014 |title=Ukraine government forces take control of village near Sloviansk – Avakov |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-govt-forces-take-control-of-village-near-sloviansk-avakov-354724.html}}</ref>
In a further blow to the insurgents, government forces retook the stronghold of [[Sloviansk]] on 5 July.<ref name="5BBC7">{{Cite news |date=5 July 2014 |title=Rebels abandon Sloviansk stronghold |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28174104 |access-date=5 July 2014}}</ref> Commander of the DPR insurgents, [[Igor Girkin]], took the decision "due to the overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy", according to DPR prime minister [[Alexander Borodai]]. He said that DPR forces had retreated to [[Kramatorsk]], but [[BBC News]] reported that they were seen abandoning their checkpoints in Kramatorsk.<ref name="5BBC7" /> Later that day, Borodai confirmed that the insurgents had abandoned "the entire northern sector", including Kramatorsk, and had retreated to [[Donetsk]] city.<ref name="BBCkramawith">{{Cite news |date=5 July 2014 |title=Donetsk rebels in mass withdrawal |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28177020 |access-date=5 July 2014}}</ref> After the retreat of Girkin's forces to Donetsk, he assumed control of the DPR, replacing the previous authorities there in what was described as a "[[coup d'état]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marples |first=David |date=8 July 2014 |title=Long live the Donetsk People's Republic! |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/long-live-donetsk-peoples-republic/ |access-date=9 August 2019 |website=openDemocracy}}</ref>
Subsequently, Ukraine's Armed Forces recaptured [[Druzhkivka]], [[Kostyantynivka]], and [[Artemivsk, Donetsk Oblast|Artemivsk]].<ref name="Cullison">{{Cite news |last=Cullison |first=Alan |date=6 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian Government Troops Target Further Gains in East |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-government-troops-target-further-gains-in-east-1404644564}}</ref> Amidst the insurgent retreat, Donetsk city mayor [[Oleksandr Lukyanchenko]] said that at least 30,000 people had left the city since April.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Luhn |first=Alec |date=6 July 2014 |title=Donetsk becomes a ghost town as fearful residents flee conflict |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/06/ukraine-crisis-donetsk}}</ref> In a separate development, Ukrainian forces said they spotted two [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|aerial drones]] in Mariupol, and shot one of them down.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 July 2014 |title=Ukraine's forces control fully Slavyansk, Kramatorsk |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/739216}}</ref>
Ahead of a planned government offensive on the insurgent-occupied city of Donetsk, key roads leading into the city were blocked on 7 July.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 July 2014 |title=Bridges destroyed outside Donetsk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28191833 |access-date=7 July 2014}}</ref> Insurgents destroyed railway bridges over the roads, causing them to collapse and block the roads. Defence Minister [[Valeriy Heletey]] stated on 8 July that there would be "no more unilateral ceasefires", and said dialogue was only possible if the insurgents laid down their weapons.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 July 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: 'No more unilateral ceasefires' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28209182 |access-date=8 July 2014}}</ref> More fighting broke out at [[Luhansk International Airport]] on 9 July.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 July 2014 |title=Fighting under way near Luhansk airport |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/fighting-under-way-near-luhansk-airport-355362.html}}</ref> LPR-affiliated insurgents said that they had captured the airport on 1 July, but the Ukrainian army managed to maintain control over it. More than 10,000 households in Luhansk Oblast are without gas service due to damage to gas lines, according to a statement on the same day by the regional gas supplier.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 July 2014 |title=Armed hostilities in Luhansk damage over 60 gas pipes |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/739741}}</ref>
[[File:Destroyed house in Donbass.jpg|thumb|Destroyed house in Donbas, July 2014]]
Clashes at the Donetsk International Airport continued on 10 July. Insurgents fired mortars at the airport, and attempted to recapture it, but were repelled by the Armed Forces.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 July 2014 |title=Ukraine forces clash with separatists at Donetsk airport |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28255174}}</ref> Ukrainian forces also retook the city of [[Siversk]], which was confirmed by the insurgents.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 July 2014 |title=Ukraine forces regain more ground but sustain further casualties |publisher=CBC News |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-forces-regain-more-ground-but-sustain-further-casualties-1.2702000}}</ref> On the same day, the Luhansk city administration reported that six civilians had been injured due to ongoing hostilities across the city.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 July 2014 |title=Luhansk City Council reports injury of six civilians |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/luhansk-city-council-reports-injury-of-six-civilians-355432.html}}</ref> There were also reports of factionalism among the separatists, with some desertions. According to these reports, the Vostok Battalion had rejected the authority of Igor Girkin. Alexander Borodai, prime minister of the DPR, denied these reports, however, and said that they were lies.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Karmanau |first=Yuras |date=10 July 2014 |title=Deep rifts emerge in ranks of Ukraine's pro-Russia insurgents as support from Moscow evaporates |work=National Post |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/deep-rifts-emerge-in-ranks-of-ukraines-pro-russia-insurgents-as-support-from-moscow-evaporates}}</ref>
Heavy fighting continued in Luhansk Oblast on 11 July. On that day, an Armed Forces column travelling near [[Rovenky]] was attacked by an insurgent-operated [[Grad rocket]] lorry.<ref name="BBCdth">{{Cite news |date=11 July 2014 |title=Ukraine president vows to act over army deaths |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28267929 |access-date=11 July 2014}}</ref> An air strike launched by the Armed Forces eventually managed to destroy the [[rocket launcher]], but only after 23 soldiers were killed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 July 2014 |title=19 Ukraine army servicemen killed by enemy artillery near Rovenky |work=ZIK |url=http://zik.ua/en/news/2014/07/11/19_ukraine_army_servicemen_killed_by_enemy_artillery_near_rovenky_505245}}</ref> In response to the attack, Ukrainian president Poroshenko said that "For every life of our soldiers, the militants will pay with tens and hundreds of their own".<ref name="BBCdth" /> On the next day, the Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes targeting insurgent positions across Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 July 2014 |title=Ukraine launches air offensive, kills 1,000 rebels, Kiev says |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/ukraine-launches-air-offensive-kill-1000-rebels-kiev-says/article19578600/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713003305/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/ukraine-launches-air-offensive-kill-1000-rebels-kiev-says/article19578600/ |archive-date=13 July 2014}}</ref> The Ukrainian government said that 500 insurgents were killed in these strikes, which they said were [[retaliation]]s for the separatist rocket attack on the previous day. Four people were killed at [[Marinka, Ukraine|Marinka]], a western suburb of Donetsk city, after rockets struck an insurgent-held area of the city. The Ukrainian government and separatists blamed each other for the attack.<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 July 2014 |title=Ukraine conflict: Rockets ravage suburb of Donetsk |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28277928}}</ref>
=== Fighting worsens in eastern Donetsk Oblast ===
{{Main|Battle in Shakhtarsk Raion}}
After a brief lull following the insurgent withdrawal from the northern part of Donetsk Oblast, fighting continued to escalate sharply in the eastern parts of Donetsk Oblast. [[Shelling of Donetsk, Russia|Shells landed]] on the border town of [[Donetsk, Russia|Donetsk]] in [[Rostov Oblast]], a part of Russia, on 13 July.<ref name="guardian713">{{Cite news |date=13 July 2014 |title=Ukraine's shelling could have irreversible consequences, says Russia |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/13/ukrainian-shell-russian-border-town-donetsk?CMP=twt_gu |access-date=14 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715010428/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/13/ukrainian-shell-russian-border-town-donetsk?CMP=twt_gu |archive-date=15 July 2014}}</ref> One civilian was killed in the shelling. Russian officials blamed the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the shelling, whilst Ukraine denied responsibility and accused insurgents in Donbas of having staged a [[false flag]] attack.<ref name="Reuters713">{{Cite news |date=13 July 2014 |title=Russia warns Ukraine after shell crosses border |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSKBN0FI09I20140713 |access-date=14 July 2014}}</ref> Russia said it was considering launching [[airstrikes]] against government targets in Ukraine as retaliation for the shelling.<ref name="AFP714">{{Cite news |date=14 July 2014 |title=Moscow 'considering targeted strikes' on Ukraine: report |work=Deccan Chronicle |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140714/world-asia/article/moscow-considering-targeted-strikes-ukraine-report |access-date=14 July 2014}}</ref>
Ukrainian forces went on to make gains around Luhansk, ending an insurgent blockade of Luhansk International Airport. LPR officials acknowledged that they lost 30 men during fighting in the village of Oleksandrivka.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 July 2014 |title=Ukraine forces break rebel airport blockade |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/07/ukraine-forces-breaks-rebel-airport-blockade-201471493349612951.html}}</ref> The insurgent-occupied town of Snizhne was hit by rockets fired from an aeroplane on 15 July, leaving at least 11 people dead, and destroying multiple homes.<ref name="BBCsniz">{{Cite news |date=16 July 2014 |title=Warplane bombs town of Snizhne in east Ukraine |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28308461 |access-date=16 July 2014}}</ref> The insurgents blamed the Air Force of Ukraine, but the Ukrainian government denied any involvement in the attack.
Clashes broke out between insurgents and the Armed Forces along the border with Russia in [[Shakhtarsk Raion]] on 16 July. Insurgents who had been holed up in the town of [[Stepanivka]] made an attempt to escape encirclement by government forces at 05:00.<ref name="REfr">{{Cite news |date=16 July 2014 |title=More Ukrainian soldiers killed as fighting rages in east, peace move flops |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSKBN0FL0K020140716 |access-date=16 July 2014}}</ref> According to a report by the [[National Guard of Ukraine|National Guard]], a roadblock near the border village of Marynivka was attacked by the insurgents with tanks, mortar fire, and anti-tank missiles.<ref name="IFng">{{Cite news |date=16 July 2014 |title=Militants attack National Guard positions in Donetsk region |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/213817.html |access-date=17 July 2014}}</ref> The checkpoint was shelled for over an hour, causing significant damage to infrastructure in Marynivka. Guardsmen managed to repel the attack, and forced the insurgents back to Stepanivka, where fighting continued.<ref name="IFng" /> The battle then moved to the nearby village of [[Tarany]]. At least 11 Ukrainian soldiers died in the fighting.<ref name="REfr" /> Attempts to form a "contact group" between the insurgents and the Ukrainian government, part of President Poroshenko's "[[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine#Fifteen-point peace plan|15-point peace plan]]", failed, leaving little hope of a renewed [[ceasefire]].<ref name="REfr" /> The insurgents later said that they successfully retook [[Marynivka]] from the Armed Forces.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 July 2014 |title=Ukraine's separatist rebels reclaim village on Russian border |work=The Oregonian |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2014/07/ukraines_separatist_rebels_rec.html |access-date=17 July 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140727054841/http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2014/07/ukraines_separatist_rebels_rec.html |archive-date=27 July 2014}}</ref>
=== Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 ===
{{Main|Malaysia Airlines Flight 17}}
A civilian passenger jet, [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 17]], was shot down over [[Hrabove, Donetsk Oblast|Hrabove]] on 17 July 2014, killing all 298 people on board. DPR-affiliated insurgents blamed the Ukrainian government for the disaster, whereas the government, [[Netherlands]], and [[Australia]] blamed Russia and the insurgents.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="Evidence in The Australian">{{Cite web |title=MH17 evidence points to 'rogue state' Russia, Tony Abbott says |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/mh17-shot-down-by-missile-from-russia-by-its-military-report-finds/news-story/d3d1cafaa0033e7acc42d9b9fc38dbf4 |website=The Australian}}</ref> The responsibility for investigation was delegated to the [[Dutch Safety Board]] (DSB) and the Dutch-led [[#Criminal investigation|joint investigation team]] (JIT), who concluded that the airliner was downed by a [[Buk missile system|Buk]] [[surface-to-air missile]] launched from pro-Russian [[Novorossiya (confederation)|separatist-controlled territory]] in Ukraine.<ref name="DSB_Final_Report">{{Cite report |url=https://www.onderzoeksraad.nl/en/media/attachment/2018/7/10/debcd724fe7breport_mh17_crash.pdf |title=Crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 |date=13 October 2015 |publisher=[[Dutch Safety Board]] |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6cFSGnsRg?url=http://cdn.onderzoeksraad.nl/documents/report-mh17-crash-en.pdf |archive-date=13 October 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite news |last=Weaver |first=Matthew |date=13 October 2015 |title=MH17 crash report: Dutch investigators confirm Buk missile hit plane – live updates |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/oct/13/mh17-crash-report-ukraine-live-updates |access-date=13 October 2015}}</ref> According to the JIT, the Buk that was used originated from the [[53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade]] of the [[Russia|Russian Federation]],<ref name="BBC 5.24.18">{{Cite web |date=24 May 2018 |title=MH17 missile owned by Russian brigade, investigators say |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44235402 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref name="CNN 5.24.18">{{Cite news |last1=Smith-Spark |first1=Laura |last2=Masters |first2=James |date=24 May 2018 |title=Missile that downed MH17 'owned by Russian brigade' |publisher=[[CNN]] |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/24/europe/mh17-plane-netherlands-russia-intl/index.html}}</ref> and had been transported from Russia on the day of the crash, fired from a field in a separatist-controlled area, and the launcher returned to Russia after it was used to shoot down MH17.<ref name="BBC News 28 September 2016">{{Cite web |last=<!-- staff writer(s); no by-line --> |date=28 September 2016 |title=MH17 missile 'came from Russia', Dutch-led investigators say |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37495067 |access-date=2 October 2016 |website=[[BBC News Online]] |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref><ref name="BBC 5.24.18" /><ref name="SMH JIT">{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Nick |date=29 September 2016 |title=Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down from pro-Russian rebel controlled territory, investigation finds |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=http://www.smh.com.au/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-was-shot-down-from-prorussian-rebel-controlled-territory-investigation-finds-20160928-grqter.html}}</ref>
On the basis of the JIT's conclusions, the governments of the Netherlands and Australia hold Russia responsible for the deployment of the Buk installation and are taking steps to hold Russia formally accountable.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last1=Algemene Zaken |first1=Ministerie van |last2=Buitenlandse Zaken |first2=Ministerie van |date=25 May 2018 |title=MH17: The Netherlands and Australia hold Russia responsible |url=https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2018/05/25/mh17-the-netherlands-and-australia-hold-russia-responsible |access-date=25 May 2018 |website=government.nl |language=nl-NL}}</ref><ref name="Evidence in The Australian" /> This disaster followed two similar incidents earlier in the week, when two Ukrainian Air Force planes were shot down.<ref name="BBCma">{{Cite news |date=17 July 2014 |title=Malaysia airliner crashes in east Ukraine conflict zone |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28354856 |access-date=17 July 2014}}</ref> Meanwhile, fighting in Luhansk resulted in the loss of electrical power and water services across the city.<ref name="BBCle">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2014 |title=Luhansk lacks electricity and water |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28363086 |access-date=18 July 2014}}</ref> Shelling damaged an electrical substation in the district Kamennobrodskiy, causing the power loss. An oil refinery in [[Lysychansk]] was also set alight.<ref name="BBCle" />
At least 20 civilians were killed in the shelling of Luhansk, according to a statement by the city administration.<ref name="ifle">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2014 |title=Over 20 civilians killed in rocket fire in Luhansk on Friday |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/214309.html |access-date=18 July 2014}}</ref> The statement said that a barrage of rockets hit "virtually every district". The shelling forced OSCE monitors to flee from their office in Luhansk, and move to [[Starobilsk]].<ref name="OSCE257">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, based on information received by 18:00hrs, 24 July (Kyiv time) |date=25 July 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/121832 |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref> Government forces went on to capture the south-eastern section of the city.<ref name="BBcrtl">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2014 |title=Part of Luhansk 'retaken' from rebels |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28363086 |access-date=18 July 2014}}</ref> Another 16 people died overnight, and at least 60 were wounded.<ref name="KPleadc">{{Cite news |date=19 July 2014 |title=Sixteen civilians killed, 66 wounded in Luhansk in past 24 hours |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/city-council-sixteen-civilians-killed-66-wounded-in-luhansk-in-past-24-hours-356902.html |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref> According to a government report, Luhansk airport was secured by government forces amidst the battle.<ref name="KPlaufu">{{Cite news |date=19 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian forces unblock Luhansk airport |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-forces-unblock-luhansk-airport-356866.html |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref>
=== Government push into Donetsk and Luhansk cities ===
{{See also|Novosvitlivka refugee convoy attack|Battle of Horlivka}}
[[File:Burned apartment building in Lysychansk, July 28, 2014.jpg|thumb|upright|Damaged tower block in Lysychansk, 28 July 2014]]
Heavy fighting also resumed around Donetsk airport overnight, and explosions were heard in all districts of the city. The city fell quiet by 09:00 on 19 July.<ref name="KPdqns">{{Cite news |date=19 July 2014 |title=Donetsk quiet after nighttime and morning shelling |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/authorities-donetsk-quiet-after-nighttime-and-morning-shelling-356901.html |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref> By 21 July, heavy fighting in Donetsk had begun again.<ref name="reuadad">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2014 |title=Fighting flares in Ukraine as crash investigators arrive |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-airplane-idUKKBN0FP02L20140721 |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref> Donetsk was rocked by explosions, and heavy weapons fire caused smoke to rise over the city. Fighting was concentrated in the northwestern districts of [[Kyivskyi District, Donetsk|Kyivskyi]] and [[Kuibyshevskyi District, Donetsk|Kuibyshevskyi]], and also near the central railway station and airport, leading local residents to seek refuge in bomb shelters, or to flee the city.<ref name="IF21j">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2014 |title=Northwest Donetsk rocked by explosions as residents hide in bomb shelters |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/214690.html |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref> The city's water supply was cut off during the fighting, and all railway and bus service was stopped.<ref name="IFws">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2014 |title=Water supplies to Donetsk stopped |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/214706.html |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref> The streets emptied, and insurgents erected barricades across the city to control traffic.<ref name="KPdciv">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2014 |title=Civilians killed as Ukrainian forces tighten noose on rebels in Donetsk |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/civilians-killed-as-ukrainian-forces-tighten-noose-on-rebels-in-donetsk-357203.html |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref> The cities of [[Dzerzhynsk, Ukraine|Dzerzhynsk]], [[Soledar]], and [[Rubizhne]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=<!-- staff writer(s); no by-line --> |date=21 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian troops take control of three settlements in Donetsk region |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/741679}}</ref> were also recaptured by government forces.<ref name="KPdze">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2014 |title=Separatists retreat from Dzerzhynsk |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/separatists-retreat-from-dzerzhynsk-357159.html |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref>
The suburb of [[Mayorsk]], just outside [[Horlivka]], and the city of [[Sievierodonetsk]], in Luhansk Oblast, were recaptured by the Armed Forces on 22 July.<ref name="BBCbods">{{Cite news |date=22 July 2014 |title=MH17 bodies moved out of Ukraine rebel area |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28416973 |access-date=22 July 2014}}</ref> OSCE monitors visiting Donetsk following the previous day's fighting there said that the city was "practically deserted", and that the fighting had stopped.<ref name="OSCE247">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine based on information received until 18:00 hrs, 23 July (Kyiv time) |date=24 July 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/121790 |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref> On the same day, DPR prime minister [[Alexander Borodai]] said that he wanted to resume ceasefire talks. DPR commander [[Igor Girkin]] also said "The time has come when Russia must take a final decision – to really support Donbas's Russians or abandon them forever".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140728040924/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-21/ukraine-army-hits-rebels-with-advance-across-all-fronts-.html Ukraine Army Hits Rebels With Advance ‘Across All Fronts’], [[Bloomberg News]] (21 July 2014)</ref> Also, the pro-Ukrainian paramilitary [[Donbas Battalion]] captured [[Popasna]].<ref name="pops">{{Cite news |date=22 July 2014 |title=Попасна Луганской области освобождена от боевиков – Семенченко (Popasnaya Luhansk region freed from insurgents – Sementchenko) |language=ru |work=Segodnya |url=http://www.segodnya.ua/regions/donetsk/popasnaya-luganskoy-oblasti-osvobozhdena-ot-boevikov-semenchenko-538863.html |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Blown up railway bridge in Donbass.jpg|thumb|left|Destroyed railway flyover, 25 July 2014]]
After having retaken [[Sievierodonetsk]], government forces fought insurgents around the neighbouring city of [[Lysychansk]].<ref name="WSJgfgf">{{Cite news|last=Troianovski|first=Anton|author-link=Anton Troianovski|date=22 July 2014|title=Dutch Take Over Lead of Malaysia Airlines Crash Investigation in Ukraine|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-makes-significant-gains-against-pro-russia-rebels-1406030208|access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref> An insurgent car bomb killed three soldiers during the fighting there. [[BM-21 Grad|Grad]] rocket attacks were launched against government forces garrisoned at [[Vesela Hora, Luhansk Oblast|Vesela Hora]], [[Kamysheve]], and also Luhansk airport. The press centre for the government military operation said that situation remained "most complex" in the areas around "Donetsk city, Luhansk city, [[Krasnodon]] and [[Popasna]]".<ref name="IFgrad">{{Cite news |date=22 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian army says militants fired Grad systems against Luhansk airport |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/214797.html |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref> Government forces broke through the insurgent blockade around Donetsk airport on 23 July and then advanced into the northwestern corner of Donetsk city.<ref name="DHwi" />
Subsequently, the insurgents withdrew from many areas on the outskirts of the city, including [[Karlivka, Donetsk Oblast|Karlivka]], {{ill|Netailove|uk|Нетайлове|vertical-align=sup}}, {{ill|Pervomaiske (Yasynuvata Raion)|uk|Первомайське (Ясинуватський район)|lt=Pervomaiske|vertical-align=sup}}, and the area around Donetsk airport.<ref name="DHwi">{{Cite news |date=23 July 2014 |title=Ukraine rebels withdraw from Donetsk outskirts |work=Deccan Herald |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/421377/ukraine-rebels-withdraw-donetsk-outskirts.html |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref> Insurgent commander Igor Girkin said that this was done to fortify Donetsk city centre, and also to avoid being encircled by government forces. He also said that he did not expect a government incursion into Donetsk city centre.<ref name="DHwi" /> Meanwhile, clashes continued in [[Shakhtarsk Raion]], along the border with Russia. Amidst the fighting, two Ukrainian [[Su-25]] fighter jets that had been providing air support to ground forces near [[Dmytrivka, Donetsk Oblast|Dmytrivka]] were shot down by the insurgents.<ref name="IFshdsd">{{Cite news |date=23 July 2014 |title=Militants shot down two Su-25 Ukrainian attack aircraft with air defense missile system – ATO press center |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215078.html |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref>
By the next day, government forces recaptured [[Lysychansk]].<ref name="KPlys">{{Cite news |date=24 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian troops enter Lysychansk |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-troops-enter-lysychansk-357777.html |access-date=24 July 2014}}</ref> On the same day, fighting raged around [[Horlivka]].<ref name="KPadafaf">{{Cite news |date=25 July 2014 |title=Ukraine Advances After Heavy Fighting |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-advances-after-heavy-fighting-357839.html |access-date=24 July 2014}}</ref> Government forces launched air and artillery strikes on insurgents within the city, and clashes were fought all around it. One important bridge collapsed in the fighting, severing a critical route out of the city. People fled the violence in cars and on foot.<ref name="KPadafaf" /> Despite these advances by the Armed Forces, the border with Russia was not secured. [[Izvaryne]] border post in Luhansk Oblast, which is controlled by the Army of the South-East, was reported to be the main entry point for weapons and reinforcements from Russia.<ref name="KPadafaf" /> Shelling began again in the [[Kyivskyi District, Donetsk|Kyivskyi]], [[Kirovskyi District, Donetsk|Kirovskyi]] and [[Petrovsky District, Donetsk|Petrovskyi]] districts of Donetsk city. According to Donetsk city administration, 11 houses were damaged in Petrovsky, and at least one man was injured.<ref name="IFdonf">{{Cite news |date=24 July 2014 |title=Fighting taking place in Donetsk suburb – city council |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215243.html |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref> The fighting continued overnight into 26 July, with explosions, shelling, and shooting heard across the city.<ref name="Reusheead">{{Cite news |last=Vasovic |first=Aleksandar |date=26 July 2014 |title=Shelling echoes around Donetsk as Kiev presses against rebels |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-donetsk-idUSL6N0Q10BQ20140726 |access-date=26 July 2014}}</ref>
During the third day of the government's offensive on the insurgent-stronghold of [[Horlivka]], between 20 and 30 civilians were killed on 27 July.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Oliphant |first=Roland |date=27 July 2014 |title=Fierce fighting in Ukraine prevents Dutch forces reaching MH17 crash site |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10993931/Fierce-fighting-in-Ukraine-prevents-Dutch-forces-reaching-MH17-crash-site.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10993931/Fierce-fighting-in-Ukraine-prevents-Dutch-forces-reaching-MH17-crash-site.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=27 July 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Horlivka was virtually abandoned, with electric power and water cut off. Shelling damaged or destroyed many buildings, including a hospital, greengrocer's, and energy company office.<ref name="horlivWP">{{Cite news |date=27 July 2014 |title=As fighting continues in east Ukraine, U.S. releases images said to implicate Russia |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/fierce-battle-between-military-and-rebels-in-eastern-ukraine-halts-plane-investigation/2014/07/27/b695809c-1582-11e4-9e3b-7f2f110c6265_story.html |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref> Ukrainian troops also entered the town of [[Shakhtarsk]], fought the insurgents that had been occupying it, and captured it around 14:30.<ref name="NDN">{{Cite news |date=27 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian troops liberated Shakhtersk |language=ru |work=News of Donbas |url=http://novosti.dn.ua/details/230767/ |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref> This cut off the supply corridor between the territories held by the DPR and LPR, isolating insurgents in Donetsk city.<ref name="MS">{{Cite news |date=27 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian Forces Battle For Horlivka |work=Morning Star |url=http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-4d5f-Ukrainian-forces-battle-for-Horlivka |url-status=dead |access-date=27 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728151729/http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-4d5f-Ukrainian-forces-battle-for-Horlivka |archive-date=28 July 2014}}</ref>
Skirmishes also broke out in the nearby towns of [[Snizhne]] and [[Torez]]. The intense combat across [[Shakhtarsk Raion]] forced a party of Dutch and Australian policemen to call off an attempt to investigate the crash site of [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 17]].<ref name="guard1346">{{Cite news |last=Farrell |first=Paul |date=27 July 2014 |title=MH17: Dutch and Australian experts forced to delay mission due to fighting |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/27/mh17-crash-site-access-ukraine-investigators |access-date=14 December 2019 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> 41 Ukrainian soldiers deserted their posts and went to the insurgent-controlled [[Izvaryne]] border crossing, where they told insurgents that they refused to fight against their "own people".<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 July 2014 |title=Over 40 Ukrainian Soldiers Flee to Russia |url=https://m.azh.kz/index.php/en/news/view/4405 |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref> The insurgents allowed them to flee Ukraine, and cross into Russia.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} By 28 July, the strategic heights of [[Savur-Mohyla]] were under Ukrainian control, along with the town of [[Debaltseve]].<ref name="IFheights">{{Cite news |date=28 July 2014 |title=ATO forces take over Debaltseve, Shakhtarsk, Torez, Lutuhyne, fighting for Pervomaisk and Snizhne underway – ATO press center |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215712.html |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref>
Insurgents had previously used Savur-Mohyla to shell Ukrainian troops around the town of Marynivka.<ref name="IFsac">{{Cite news |date=28 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian Armed Forces take control of Savur-Mohyla – report to president |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215685.html |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref> By 29 July, a further 17 civilians had been killed in the fighting, along with an additional 43 people injured.<ref name="IFhorlier">{{Cite news |date=29 July 2014 |title=Seventeen civilians, including three children, killed in gunfire in Horlivka in past 24 hours |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215876.html |access-date=29 July 2014}}</ref> Shelling continued in the [[Leninskyi District, Donetsk|Leninskyi]] and [[Kyivskyi District, Donetsk|Kyivskyi]] districts of Donetsk city. According to the city administration, these districts were heavily damaged.<ref name="IFdau">{{Cite news |date=29 July 2014 |title=Donetsk authorities report overnight shelling of city |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215865.html |access-date=29 July 2014}}</ref>
According to a report by [[National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine]], crossing points on the border with Russia were attacked from Russian territory at least 153 times since 5 June.<ref name="KPBC">{{Cite news |date=29 July 2014 |title=Ukrainian border checkpoints come under over 150 attacks from Russia since June 5 |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-border-checkpoints-come-under-over-150-attacks-from-russia-since-june-5-358484.html |access-date=29 July 2014}}</ref> 27 border guardsmen were killed in these attacks, and 185 were injured. Government forces made a further advance on 30 July, when they evicted insurgents from [[Avdiivka]], near Donetsk airport.<ref name="BBCstrat">{{Cite news |date=30 July 2014 |title=Army claims strategic town in Donetsk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28559482 |access-date=30 July 2014}}</ref> Military operations were paused on 31 July.<ref name="BBChalt">{{Cite news |date=13 July 2014 |title=Ukraine MH17: Forensic scientists reach jet crash site |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28581722 |access-date=31 July 2014}}</ref> This was meant to allow international experts to examine the crash site of [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 17]], which is located in [[Shakhtarsk Raion]], where the fiercest battles had been taking place on the previous few days. Monitors were escorted to the site by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After fighting severed various transmission lines, Luhansk city lost all access to electrical power.<ref name="IFpower">{{Cite news |date=31 July 2014 |title=Luhansk is fully without power – mayor's office |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/216353.html |access-date=31 July 2014}}</ref> Little fuel remained to power emergency generators. Minor skirmishes occurred in Vasylivka and Zhovtneve.<ref name="IFafaddwdw">{{Cite news |date=31 July 2014 |title=Donetsk city council reports fighting near Zhovtneve |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/216351.html |access-date=31 July 2014}}</ref> Meanwhile, talks between the separatists, Russia, Ukraine, and the OSCE were held in [[Minsk]].<ref name="BBChalt" /> Fighting continued in [[Shakhtarsk]]. An ambush by the insurgents on government forces there resulted in the deaths of ten soldiers.<ref name="BBC19">{{Cite news |date=1 August 2014 |title=Air crash team finds human remains |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28599315 |access-date=1 August 2014}}</ref> 11 went missing, and 13 were wounded. A government offensive on the city of [[Pervomaisk, Luhansk Oblast|Pervomaisk]] in Luhansk Oblast continued.<ref name="BBC19" />
[[File:Damaged building in Snizhne, August 6, 2014.jpg|thumb|left|Damaged building in [[Snizhne]], 6 August 2014]]
Following a series of military defeats, Igor Girkin, insurgent commander for the DPR, urged Russian military intervention, and said that the combat inexperience of his irregular forces, along with recruitment difficulties amongst the local population in Donetsk Oblast had caused the setbacks. He addressed Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]], saying that "Losing this war on the territory that President Vladimir Putin personally named New Russia would threaten the Kremlin's power and, personally, the power of the president".<ref name="The Daily Beast">{{Cite news |date=25 July 2014 |title=Putin's Number One Gunman in Ukraine Warns Him of Possible Defeat |work=The Daily Beast |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/25/putin-s-number-one-gunman-in-ukraine-warns-him-of-possible-defeat.html |access-date=2 August 2014}}</ref> Government forces closed in on Luhansk and Donetsk cities on 3 August.<ref name="BBCfs">{{Cite news |date=3 August 2014 |title=Donetsk and Luhansk 'facing siege' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28630391 |access-date=3 August 2014}}</ref>
A number of civilians were killed in fighting in both cities. Luhansk was reported to be "virtually surrounded", with little electrical power or water supply available. The situation in the city of Donetsk was less dire, as trains to Russia were still running, but fighting and shelling did not relent.<ref name="BBCfs" /> According to the Armed Forces, three-quarters of the territory once held by the insurgents had been recaptured.<ref name="NYReuisd">{{Cite news |date=3 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian Army Steps Up Attacks on Rebel-Held Donetsk |work=The New York Times |agency=Reuters |location=Donetsk |url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/08/03/world/europe/03reuters-urkaine-crisis-east.html?ref=world&_r=0 |access-date=3 August 2014}}</ref> They also said that they had completely cut off supply lines between the DPR and LPR, after more than a week of fighting in [[Shakhtarsk Raion]].<ref name="tsnsrer">{{Cite news |date=3 August 2014 |title=Силам АТО нарешті вдалося розділити терористів на Донбасі на дві групи (Force ATO finally managed to divide terrorists into two groups Donbas) |language=uk |publisher=TSN.ua |location=Ukraine |url=http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/silam-ato-nareshti-vdalosya-rozdiliti-teroristiv-na-donbasi-na-dvi-grupi-361740.html |access-date=3 August 2014}}</ref>
After a prolonged battle, the Armed Forces recaptured the vital town of [[Yasynuvata]] on 4 August.<ref name="reuyasn">{{Cite news |date=4 August 2014 |title=Kiev says it recaptures rail hub in east Ukraine, five soldiers killed |work=Reuters |location=Kiev |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-east-idUSL6N0QA2B020140804 |access-date=4 August 2014}}</ref> At least five soldiers died in the fighting to capture the town, which is a strategic railway junction on the main road between Donetsk and Luhansk cities. The pro-government paramilitary [[Azov Battalion|Azov]] and Shakhtarsk battalions said that they had advanced into Donetsk city, and had begun to "liberate" it.<ref name="KP482014">{{Cite news |date=4 August 2014 |title=Donetsk faces the threat of urban warfare as Ukrainian forces move to encircle city |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/donetsk-faces-threat-of-urban-warfare-as-ukrainian-forces-move-to-encircle-city-359270.html |access-date=4 August 2014}}</ref> The Ukrainian government said that all civilians should evacuate from Donetsk, and issued statements asking DPR and LPR forces to help establish "humanitarian corridors" to allow civilians in Donetsk, Luhansk and Horlivka to flee.<ref name="48ifad">{{Cite news |date=4 August 2014 |title=ATO command suggests militants establishing humanitarian corridors from Luhansk, Donetsk and Horlivka |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/216860.html |access-date=4 August 2014}}</ref> Commenting on the situation in Luhansk, mayor Sergei Kravchenko said "As a result of the blockade and ceaseless rocket attacks, the city is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe".<ref name="APcitydying">{{Cite news |date=4 August 2014 |title=East Ukraine city dying under siege |agency=Associated Press |url=http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2014-08-04-EU--Ukraine/id-026c885872c84d199627f0901371df87 |access-date=4 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808054305/http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2014-08-04-EU--Ukraine/id-026c885872c84d199627f0901371df87 |archive-date=8 August 2014}}</ref>
As government troops pushed into Donetsk on 5 August, heavy fighting erupted at 17:00 in the Petrovskyi district of the city.<ref name="BBCdonhf">{{Cite news |date=5 August 2014 |title=Ukraine rebel-held Donetsk sees 'heavy fighting' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28665050 |access-date=5 August 2014}}</ref> Elsewhere, insurgents recaptured the town of Yasynuvata after a retreat by government forces.<ref name="REUdadadfgege">{{Cite news |date=5 August 2014 |title=Ukraine keeps up anti-rebel offensive with nervous eye on Russia |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-action-idUSKBN0G50UW20140805 |access-date=5 August 2014}}</ref> A spokesman from the [[National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine]] said that the Armed Forces left the town to avoid harming the "peaceful population", and that the city was being evacuated so that it could be "completely liberated".<ref name="Ukrinformadadwer">{{Cite news |date=5 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian forces leave Yasynuvata |work=National News Agency of Ukraine |url=http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/ukrainian_forces_leave_yasynuvata_324879 |url-status=dead |access-date=5 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805171010/http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/ukrainian_forces_leave_yasynuvata_324879 |archive-date=5 August 2014}}</ref> He also said that the railway station remained under government control, and that all railway traffic had been blocked. Fighting between insurgents and government forces across the Donbas region continued "constantly" over the course of the day.<ref name="UKDadef">{{Cite news |date=6 August 2014 |title=Terrorists have no strength for counterattack – NSDC |work=National News Agency of Ukraine |url=http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/terrorists_have_no_strength_for_counterattack___nsdc_324883 |url-status=dead |access-date=6 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140806044230/http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/terrorists_have_no_strength_for_counterattack___nsdc_324883 |archive-date=6 August 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Burning apartment building in Shahtersk, August 3, 2014.jpg|thumb|Burning block of flats in [[Shakhtarsk]], 3 August 2014]]
Fighting and shelling continued around Donetsk on 8 August, with several civilians killed or injured.<ref>{{Cite news |last=<!-- staff writer(s); no by-line. --> |date=7 August 2014 |title=Ukraine's Donetsk becomes ghost town as national forces shell separatists |publisher=Fox News |url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/08/07/battle-for-ghost-town-ukraines-donetsk-empties-as-national-forces-shell/}}</ref> By 9 August, insurgent commander Igor Girkin said that Donetsk had been "completely encircled" by government forces.<ref name="BBC892014">{{Cite news |date=9 August 2014 |title=Army closes in on Donetsk rebels |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28724487 |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> This followed the capture of the vital town of [[Krasnyi Luch]] by the government, after insurgent-aligned Cossacks stationed there fled.<ref name="BBC892014" /> Further skirmishes between insurgents and the Armed Forces took place in [[Mnohopillia]], [[Stepanivka]], [[Hryhorivka]], Krasny Yar, Pobeda, [[Shyshkove]], [[Komyshna|Komyshne]], [[Novohannivka]], [[Krasna Talivka]], [[Dmytrivka, Donetsk Oblast|Dmytrivka]], [[Sabivka]], and Luhansk airport.<ref name="UKdefegf">{{Cite news |date=9 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian troops attack terrorists in 12 localities |work=National News Agency of Ukraine |url=http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/ukrainian_troops_attack_terrorists_in_12_localities_325119 |url-status=dead |access-date=10 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809160620/http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/ukrainian_troops_attack_terrorists_in_12_localities_325119 |archive-date=9 August 2014}}</ref>
Overnight and into 10 August, government forces launched an artillery barrage on Donetsk city, causing "massive damage" across it.<ref name="BBC1082014">{{Cite news |date=10 August 2014 |title=Army pounds rebels in Donetsk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28732180 |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref> According to a spokesman for the Armed Forces, insurgents began to flee the city during the barrage, and were in a state of "panic and chaos". Hospitals and residential buildings were heavily damaged, and many remaining residents took shelter in basements.<ref name="BBC1082014" /> The cities of [[Pervomaisk, Luhansk Oblast|Pervomaisk]], Kalynove, Komyshuvakha, in western Luhansk Oblast near [[Popasna]], were captured by government forces on 12 August after heavy fighting.<ref name="IFlibererqw">{{Cite news |date=12 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian troops liberate Pervomaisk, Kalynove, Komyshuvakha in west of Luhansk region – ATO press center |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/218108.html |access-date=12 August 2014}}</ref> Heavy shelling of Donetsk continued into 14 August.<ref name="BBC142014">{{Cite news |date=14 August 2014 |title=Shells hit Donetsk amid Russia convoy row |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28788945 |access-date=14 August 2014}}</ref>
During this artillery barrage, Igor Girkin resigned from his post as commander of the insurgent forces of the Donetsk People's Republic.<ref name="Girkinquits">{{Cite news |date=14 August 2014 |title=Rebel military chief Strelkov 'quits' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28792966 |access-date=14 August 2014}}</ref> He was replaced by [[Vladimir Kononov (military)|Vladimir Kononov]], who is known by the [[nom de guerre]] ''Tsar''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Babiak |first=Mat |date=14 August 2014 |title='Strelkov' resigns from post following news of severe injury |publisher=Ukrainian Policy |url=http://ukrainianpolicy.com/strelkov-resigns-from-post-following-news-of-severe-injury/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402164702/http://ukrainianpolicy.com/strelkov-resigns-from-post-following-news-of-severe-injury/ |archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref> Girkin's resignation, along with the 7 August resignation of DPR prime minister [[Alexander Borodai]] (who was replaced by [[Alexander Zakharchenko]]), represented a shift in the nature of the conflict. Given the recent military failings of the DPR and the LPR, Russia decided that it could no longer rely on a patchwork of irregular fighters in the Donbas, and ordered a change in leadership.<ref name="de9">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=56–57 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref> It abandoned the separatist project, and replaced it with the idea of federalisation of Donbas within Ukraine. To effect this change, it would soon switch gears from hybrid warfare to conventional warfare.<ref name="de22">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=52–54 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref>
Later in the day on 14 August, a convoy of some two dozen armoured personnel carriers and other vehicles with official Russian military plates crossed into Ukraine near the insurgent-controlled [[Izvaryne]] border crossing.<ref name="GDmvew">{{Cite news |date=14 August 2014 |title=Russian military vehicles enter Ukraine as aid convoy stops short of border |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/14/russian-military-vehicles-enter-ukraine-aid-convoy-stops-short-border |access-date=15 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="BBCAMC">{{Cite news |date=15 August 2014 |title=Ukraine 'hits Russia armoured column' amid aid impasse |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28810622 |access-date=15 August 2014}}</ref> NATO Secretary General [[Anders Fogh Rasmussen]] confirmed that a "Russian incursion" into Ukraine had occurred.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 August 2014 |title=Russian aid convoy checked; NATO spots 'incursion' into Ukraine |publisher=CNBC |agency=Reuters |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/08/15/russia-masses-military-vehicles-as-aid-convoy-waits-near-ukraine-border.html#_gus |access-date=15 August 2014}}</ref> Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said that Ukrainian artillery engaged and destroyed a "significant" portion of the armoured column.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=President of Ukraine and Prime Minister of Great Britain discussed international efforts on the settlement of the conflict in the Donbas |date=15 August 2014 |publisher=Office of the President of Ukraine |url=http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/30998.html |access-date=15 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815172818/http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/30998.html |archive-date=15 August 2014}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Defence (Russia)|Russian Defence Ministry]] denied the existence of any such convoy.<ref name="BBCdst">{{Cite news |date=15 August 2014 |title=Russia denies sending troops and weapons in to Ukraine |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28813047 |access-date=19 August 2014}}</ref> Following this incident, the newly appointed prime minister of the DPR [[Alexander Zakharchenko]] said that his forces included 1,200 Russian-trained combatants.<ref name="BBCraonw">{{Cite news |date=16 August 2014 |title=Rebel leader says Russian arms on way |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28817347 |access-date=16 August 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Damaged building in Donetsk, August 7, 2014.jpg|thumb|left|Damaged building in [[Donetsk]], 7 August 2014]]
A Ukrainian Air Force [[MiG-29]] fighter jet was shot down by the insurgents in [[Luhansk Oblast]] on 17 August. Ten civilians were killed during continued shelling in Donetsk.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian fighter plane shot down by pro-Russia rebels |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/17/ukraine-fighter-jet-shot-down |access-date=17 August 2014}}</ref> The insurgent-occupied city of Horlivka was encircled by the Armed Forces on 18 August.<ref name="BBC24242">{{Cite news |date=18 August 2014 |title=Ukraine refugee convoy hit by rockets, says military |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28832873 |access-date=18 August 2014}}</ref> Government forces also advanced into the edges of Luhansk city. A convoy of refugees from Luhansk [[Luhansk refugee convoy attack|was hit by Grad rockets]] near the village of [[Novosvitlivka, Luhansk Oblast|Novosvitlivka]]. Dozens of civilians died in the attack, which the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine blamed on the insurgents. Insurgents denied attacking any refugee convoys.<ref name="BBC24242" /> DPR prime minister [[Aleksandr Zakharchenko]] stated that if the Ukrainian government made "reasonable proposals to lay down arms, close borders, we will talk on equal terms as equal partners".<ref name="hardware that we took from the Ukrainian military" /> He added, however, that the government "must recognise us as a state, now it is already impossible to ask for a certain degree of autonomy".<ref name="hardware that we took from the Ukrainian military">[http://tass.ru/en/world/745598 Donetsk Republic prime minister says militia ready for reasonable talks with Kiev], [[Information Telegraph Agency of Russia]] (19 August 2014)</ref>
After having edged into Luhansk city on 18 August, government forces began to advance through the city "block by block" on 19 August.<ref name="BBCalcta">{{Cite news |date=19 August 2014 |title=Ukraine street battles in Luhansk as troops advance |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28858542 |access-date=19 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="IFgfclea">{{Cite news |date=19 August 2014 |title=Government forces continue to clear Luhansk of militants – interior minister's adviser |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/219015.html |access-date=19 August 2014}}</ref> Fighting was heard in streets across the city, and shelling of many insurgent-occupied districts continued. There was also fighting [[Makiivka]] and [[Ilovaisk]], two cities just outside Donetsk city. A spokesman for the Internal Affairs Ministry said that government forces were "clearing" Ilovaisk of insurgents, and later captured most of the city.<ref name="BBCalcta" /><ref name="UKRINnanewsf">{{Cite news |date=19 August 2014 |title=Government forces clearing Ilovaisk of snipers |work=National News Agency of Ukraine |url=http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/government_forces_clearing_ilovaisk_of_snipers_325474 |url-status=dead |access-date=19 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819163725/http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/government_forces_clearing_ilovaisk_of_snipers_325474 |archive-date=19 August 2014}}</ref> The headquarters of the DPR in Donetsk city were also shelled. Fighting across Donetsk Oblast on 19 August resulted in the deaths of 34 civilians.<ref name="BBCfbftl">{{Cite news |date=20 August 2014 |title=Fierce battle for town of Ilovaisk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28866283 |access-date=20 August 2014}}</ref> By early evening on 20 August, government forces said that they had recaptured "significant parts" of the city of Luhansk, after a series of running battles in streets throughout the day.<ref name="YHmol">{{Cite news |date=20 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian govt troops take over much of Luhansk |work=Yahoo News |agency=Associated Press |location=Donetsk |url=https://news.yahoo.com/fighting-outside-key-ukrainian-city-kills-9-troops-091723576.html |access-date=20 August 2014}}</ref>
=== August 2014 invasion by Russian forces ===
{{Main|Battle of Ilovaisk|Battle of Novoazovsk}}
{{Further|Russo-Ukrainian War}}
[[File:Ukrainian troops guard a road in Donbass.jpg|thumb|Ukrainian troops guarding a road in Donbas]]
By 25 August, an insurgent counter-offensive had stalled the government's offensive on Donetsk and Luhansk cities.<ref name="Stfore2">{{Cite news |date=25 August 2014 |title=Ukrainian Separatists Fight Back to Maintain Supply Lines |work=Stratfor |url=http://www.stratfor.com/sample/analysis/after-re-establishing-supply-lines-ukrainian-separatists-launch-counteroffensive |url-status=dead |access-date=26 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826212148/http://www.stratfor.com/sample/analysis/after-re-establishing-supply-lines-ukrainian-separatists-launch-counteroffensive |archive-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Insurgents attacked government positions in [[Shchastia]], and along the [[Siverskyi Donets]] River in Luhansk Oblast. As this attack occurred, insurgents in Luhansk received reinforcements. Government forces near [[Ilovaisk]] and [[Amvrosiivka]] in Donetsk Oblast became surrounded by insurgents, after their attempt to take Ilovaisk was halted by heavy shelling.<ref name="Stfore2" /> The pro-government volunteer [[Donbas Battalion]], trapped in the city for days by the insurgents, accused the Ukrainian government and Armed Forces of "abandoning" them.<ref name="NYTvoceuk">{{Cite news |last=Mackey |first=Robert |date=27 August 2014 |title=Video of Combat in Eastern Ukraine Adds to Worries in Kiev |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/world/europe/video-of-combat-in-eastern-ukraine-adds-to-worries-in-kiev.html |access-date=27 August 2014}}</ref>
Other volunteer battalions, such as the [[Azov Battalion|Azov]] and [[Dnipro Battalion|Dnipro]], left Ilovaisk after encountering heavy resistance. Donbas Battalion leader [[Semen Semenchenko]] said "I think it is profitable for the defence ministry not to send help, but to achieve a situation where volunteer battalions start blaming each other about who helped who".<ref name="KP23215">{{Cite news |date=24 August 2014 |title=Abandoned Donbas Battalion fights on |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/abandoned-donbas-battalion-fights-on-361886.html |access-date=27 August 2014}}</ref>
DPR forces stated their intention to "fight their way to the [[Azov Sea]]" on 23 August.<ref name="azovsea2">{{cite news|url=http://en.ria.ru/world/20140823/192282525/Donetsk-Militia-Fighting-its-Way-to-Azov-Sea.html |title=Donetsk Militia Fighting its Way to Azov Sea |agency=[[RIA Novosti]] |date=23 August 2014 |access-date=30 August 2014 |archive-date=28 August 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828111422/http://en.ria.ru/world/20140823/192282525/Donetsk-Militia-Fighting-its-Way-to-Azov-Sea.html}}</ref> In line with this statement, an artillery barrage rained down on the coastal city of [[Novoazovsk]], in southern Donetsk Oblast.<ref name="azovsea2"/> A column of armoured vehicles crossed into Ukraine from Russia near [[Novoazovsk]] on 25 August.<ref name="nyt1" /><ref name="BBCcfrmom">{{Cite news |date=25 August 2014 |title='Column from Russia' moves on Mariupol |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28924945 |access-date=25 August 2014}}</ref> There were no insurgent formations within {{convert|30|km|mi|frac=3}} of this area for many weeks.<ref name="REU26AUG2014">{{Cite news |date=26 August 2014 |title=In Ukraine, an armoured column appears out of nowhere |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-novoazovsk-idUKKBN0GQ19Y20140826 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Heavy fighting took place in the village of Markyne, {{convert|7|km|mi|frac=4}} from Novoazovsk. Insurgents used the village as a base to shell Novoazovsk.<ref name="REU242425">{{Cite news |date=25 August 2014 |title=Ukraine accuses Russia of opening new front before leaders' meeting |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-column-idUSKBN0GP0MB20140825 |access-date=25 August 2014}}</ref> A spokesman for the [[National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine]] said that the entrance of the column into Ukraine was an attempt "by the Russian military in the guise of Donbas fighters to open a new area of military confrontation".<ref name="BBCcfrmom" />
[[File:War in donbass.svg|thumb|left|300px]]
According to the Mariupol city website, the [[Dnipro Battalion|Dnipro]] and [[Donbas Battalion|Donbas]] battalions repelled the attack, and the "invaders" retreated to the border.<ref name="UK242ed3r">{{Cite news |date=25 August 2014 |title=Terrorists retreating from Novoazovsk to border |work=National News Agency of Ukraine |url=http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/terrorists_retreating_from_novoazovsk_to_border_325628 |url-status=dead |access-date=25 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626205659/http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/terrorists_retreating_from_novoazovsk_to_border_325628 |archive-date=26 June 2015}}</ref> Russian Foreign Minister [[Sergei Lavrov]] said he had no knowledge of the incident, and suggested that reports of the incident being an incursion by Russian forces were "disinformation."<ref name="REU24372">{{Cite news |date=25 August 2014 |title=Ukraine Accuses Russia of Opening New Front Before Putin-Poroshenko Meeting |work=Reuters |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-idINL5N0QV33V20140825 |access-date=25 August 2014}}</ref> Directly prior to the appearance of the column, the area was heavily shelled. The nearest insurgent artillery positions were beyond the range of this area.<ref name="REU26AUG2014" />
Villagers from [[Kolosky]] in [[Starobesheve Raion]] told [[Reuters]] that military men with Russian accents and no identifying insignias had appeared in the village at the weekend of 23–24 August.<ref name="REUmigewe">{{Cite news |date=26 August 2014 |title='Men in green' raise suspicions of east Ukrainian villagers |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-fighters-idUSKBN0GQ1X520140826 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> They set up a roadblock near the village. The men wore distinctive white armbands.<ref name="REUmigewe" /> The villagers referred to them as "[[Little green men (GRU)|polite green men]]", a term that was used to refer to the irregular Russian forces that took [[2014 Crimean crisis|control of Crimea]] from February 2014. Following the appearance of these men, ten soldiers in green military uniforms with white armbands were detained by Ukrainian forces at [[Dzerkalne]]. This village is north of Novoazovosk, {{convert|7|km|mi|frac=4}} from Kolosky, and about {{convert|20|km|mi}} from the Russian border.<ref name="REUmigewe" /><ref name="BBCcrtoi">{{Cite news |date=26 August 2014 |title=Captured Russian troops 'in Ukraine by accident' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28934213 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>
The Russian military confirmed that these men were Russian paratroopers and that they had been captured. The Russian Defence Ministry said the men had entered Ukraine "by mistake during an exercise".<ref name="REUmigewe" /><ref name="BBCcrtoi" /> The [[Security Service of Ukraine]] (SBU) released videos that they said were interviews with the captive Russian soldiers. In one of the videos, a soldier said that their commanders had sent them on a {{convert|70|km|mi|adj=on|frac=4}} march "without explaining its purpose or warning that they would be in Ukrainian territory, where they were apprehended by Ukrainian forces and surrendered without a fight".<ref name="MTrpiuk">{{Cite news |date=26 August 2014 |title=Russian Paratroops in Ukraine: Lost in Media Haze |work=The Moscow Times |url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-paratroops-in-ukraine-lost-in-media-haze-video/505944.html |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>
Insurgents pushed into [[Novoazovsk]] on 27 August.<ref name="NYT2782014" /><ref name="BBC27AUG">{{Cite news |date=27 August 2014 |title=Rebels push into port of Novoazovsk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28951319 |access-date=27 August 2014}}</ref> Whilst the Ukrainian government said they were in "total control" of Novoazovsk, town mayor Oleg Sidorkin confirmed that the insurgents had captured it.<ref name="BBC27AUG" /> He also said that "dozens" of tanks and armoured vehicles had been used by the insurgents in their assault on the town. At least four civilians were injured by insurgent shelling. To the north, close to [[Starobesheve]], Ukrainian forces said that they spotted a column of 100 armoured vehicles, tanks, and Grad rocket lorries that was heading south, toward Novoazovsk.<ref name="BBC27AUG" /> They said these vehicles were marked with "white circles or triangles", similar to the white armbands seen on the captured Russian paratroopers earlier in the week. Amidst pressure on this new third front, government forces retreated westward toward [[Mariupol]].<ref name="NYT2782014" />
They evacuated the town of [[Starobesheve]], among other areas in the {{convert|75|km|mi|adj=on}} stretch of borderland from the [[Sea of Azov]] to the existing insurgent-held territories.<ref name="NYT2782014" /><ref name="AJfukc">{{Cite news |date=27 August 2014 |title=Fighting for Ukraine's coastline intensifies |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/08/fighting-ukraine-coastline-intensifies-201482718054359321.html |access-date=27 August 2014}}</ref> A report by ''The New York Times'' described the retreating soldiers as "exhausted, filthy and dismayed".<ref name="NYT2782014" /> Western officials described the new insurgent actions as a "stealth invasion" by the Russian Federation, with tanks, artillery and infantry said to have crossed into Ukraine from Russian territory. [[US State Department]] spokesman [[Jen Psaki]] said that "these incursions indicate a Russian-directed counteroffensive is likely underway", and Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]] said "An invasion of Russian forces has taken place".<ref name="NYT2782014" /><ref name="REUuars">{{Cite news |date=28 August 2014 |title=Ukraine accuses Russia of launching invasion |work=Reuters |location=Kyiv |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-russia-soldiers-idINKBN0GS0X220140828 |access-date=28 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="Pgov31102">{{Cite press release |title=President cancelled his visit to Turkey and urgently convenes the NSDC meeting |date=28 August 2014 |publisher=Office of the President of Ukraine |url=http://president.gov.ua/en/news/31102.html |access-date=28 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828134712/http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/31102.html |archive-date=28 August 2014}}</ref> A statement by the [[National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine]] (NSDC) later said that Novoazovsk had been captured by "Russian troops", despite earlier denials by the Ukrainian government.<ref name="BBC28Aug2014">{{Cite news |date=28 August 2014 |title='Russian troops deployed' in Ukraine – Poroshenko |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28967526 |access-date=28 August 2014}}</ref>
According to the NSDC, Ukrainian troops withdrew from Novoazovsk to save lives, and were instead preparing defences in [[Mariupol]]. Meanwhile, fighting continued in and around Donetsk city. Shells fell on the [[Kalininskyi District, Donetsk|Kalininskyi district]] of Donetsk, and the [[Donbas Battalion]] continued to fight against the insurgents that had trapped them in [[Ilovaisk]] for days.<ref name="NYTvoceuk" /><ref name="REUuars" /><ref name="OSCE28AUG">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 27 August 2014 |date=28 August 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/123030 |access-date=28 August 2014}}</ref> NATO commander Brig. Gen. Nico Tak said on 28 August that "well over" 1,000 Russian soldiers were operating in the Donbas conflict zone.<ref name="NY28Aug2014">{{Cite news |last1=MacFarquhar |first1=Neil |last2=Gordon |first2=Michael R. |date=28 August 2014 |title=Over 1,000 Russian Soldiers Join Fight, NATO Says |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/world/europe/ukraine-russia-nato-photos.html |access-date=28 August 2014}}</ref> Amidst what ''The New York Times'' described as "chaos" in the conflict zone, the insurgents re-captured [[Savur-Mohyla]].<ref name="NYT2782014" />
Despite these advances by pro-Russian forces, the National Guard of Ukraine temporarily retook the city of [[Komsomolske, Donetsk Oblast|Komsomolske]] in [[Starobesheve Raion]] of [[Donetsk Oblast]] on 29 August.<ref name="KPkomso">{{Cite news |date=29 August 2014 |title=Ukraine National Guard now controlling Komsomolske in Donetsk region |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-national-guard-now-controlling-komsomolske-in-donetsk-region-362529.html |access-date=29 August 2014}}</ref> However, two days later, Ukrainian forces retreated from the city, and Komsomolske was once again taken by the DPR forces.<ref name="komsomolske">{{Cite news |date=31 August 2014 |title=As Ukrainian troops retreat, separatists celebrate new offensive |work=Digital Journal |url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/as-ukrainian-troops-retreat-separatists-celebrate-new-offensive/article/400465 |access-date=2 September 2014}}</ref> Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces retreated from [[Novosvitlivka, Luhansk Oblast|Novosvitlivka]] after being attacked by what they said were "Russian tanks". They said that every house in the village was destroyed.<ref name="BBC30AUG">{{Cite news |date=30 August 2014 |title=EU 'must act on Russia aggression' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28993873 |access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref> The trapped [[Donbas Battalion]] withdrew from [[Ilovaisk]] on 30 August after negotiating an agreement with pro-Russian forces. According to some of the troops who withdrew from Ilovaisk, DPR forces violated the agreement and fired on them whilst they retreated under [[white flag]]s, killing as many as several dozen.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 August 2014 |title=PRO-RUSSIA REBELS CONFIDENT AFTER MAKING GAINS |agency=Associated Press |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/pro-russia-rebels-confident-after-making-gains |access-date=30 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140902000911/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/pro-russia-rebels-confident-after-making-gains |archive-date=2 September 2014}}</ref>
[[File:2014. Донецк 464.jpg|thumb|left|People queueing for water in Donetsk, 22 August 2014]]
[[File:Arseniy Yatsenyuk awarding wounded volunteers.jpg|thumb|Ukrainian Prime Minister [[Arseniy Yatsenyuk]] awarding Donbas Battalion volunteers, 1 September 2014]]
A Ukrainian patrol boat in the [[Sea of Azov]] was hit by shore-based artillery fire on 31 August.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Polityuk |first1=Pavel |last2=Vasovic |first2=Aleksandar |date=31 August 2014 |title=Rescue under way after separatists claim first attack on Ukrainian ship |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-boat-idUSKBN0GV0NA20140831 |access-date=1 September 2014}}</ref> Eight sailors were rescued from the sinking boat, whilst two crew-members were missing. Former insurgent commander [[Igor Girkin]] said that the insurgents had "dealt the enemy their first naval defeat". Government forces withdrew from [[Luhansk International Airport]] on 1 September, despite having held the airport from insurgent attacks for weeks prior.<ref name="BBC1SEPT">{{Cite news |date=1 September 2014 |title=Troops abandon Luhansk airport after clashes |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29009516 |access-date=1 September 2014}}</ref> The airport saw fierce fighting on the night before the withdrawal, and Ukrainian officials said that their forces at the airport had been attacked by a column of Russian tanks.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Amos |first1=Howard |last2=McElroy |first2=Damien |date=1 September 2014 |title=Ukraine withdraws from Luhansk airport after 'Russian tank column' attack |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11067351/Ukraine-battles-Russian-tank-column-near-Luhansk-ahead-of-Minsk-peace-talks.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11067351/Ukraine-battles-Russian-tank-column-near-Luhansk-ahead-of-Minsk-peace-talks.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=16 October 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Clashes also continued at [[Donetsk International Airport]].<ref name="BBC1SEPT" />
Heavy fighting was observed by OSCE monitors near the villages of [[Shyrokyne]] and [[Bezimenne, Novoazovsk Raion|Bezimenne]] on 4 September.<ref name="OSCE4SEPT">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 4 September 2014: The Situation in Mariupol |date=4 September 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/123210 |access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref> Respectively, these villages are {{convert|24|km|mi}} and {{convert|34|km|mi}} east of Mariupol. Ukrainian officials in Mariupol said that the situation there "was worsening by the hour", and that there was an imminent danger of an attack on the city.<ref name="OSCE4SEPT" /> DPR forces came within {{convert|5|km|mi|frac=4}} of the city on 4 September, but their advance was repulsed by an overnight counter-attack launched by the [[Armed Forces of Ukraine|Armed Forces]] and the [[Azov Battalion]].<ref name="GUA2424255">{{Cite news |date=5 September 2014 |title=Heavy shelling in Ukrainian port of Mariupol hours before agreed ceasefire |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/05/ukraine-heavy-shelling-hours-before-ceasefire-russia |access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref> They were driven back about {{convert|20|km|mi|frac=4}} east of the city. Constant shelling was heard on the outskirts of Mariupol.<ref name="GUA2424255" />
=== September 2014 ceasefire ===
{{Main|Minsk Protocol}}
{{See also|Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine|Second Battle of Donetsk Airport}}
[[File:Yurkevych-Andriy-pohoron-5452.jpg|thumb|A funeral service for a Ukrainian soldier, 11 September 2014]]
After days of peace talks in [[Minsk]] under the auspices of the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE), Ukraine, Russia, the DPR, and the LPR [[Minsk Protocol|agreed to a ceasefire]] on 5 September.<ref name="BBC2908">{{Cite news |date=5 September 2014 |title=Ukraine and pro-Russia rebels sign ceasefire deal |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29082574 |access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref> [[OSCE]] monitors said they would observe the ceasefire, and assist the Ukrainian government in implementing it.<ref name="OSCE5235">{{Cite press release |title=Chairperson-in-Office welcomes Minsk agreement, assures President Poroshenko of OSCE support |date=5 September 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/cio/123245 |access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref> According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', the agreement was an "almost verbatim" replication of Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]]'s failed June "[[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine#Fifteen-point peace plan|15-point peace plan]]".<ref name="NYT23425">{{Citation |last=MacFarquhar |first=Neil |title=Ukraine Deal Imposes Truce Putin Devised |date=5 September 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/06/world/europe/ukraine-cease-fire.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=6 September 2014}}</ref> It was agreed that there would be an [[Prisoner exchange|exchange]] of all prisoners taken by both sides, and that heavy weaponry should be removed from the combat zone.<ref name=NYT23425/><ref name="WP7SEPT2014"/>
Humanitarian corridors were meant to be maintained so that civilians could leave affected areas. President Poroshenko said that Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts would be granted "special status", and that use of the [[Russian language]] in these areas would be protected by law.<ref name=NYT23425/><ref name="WP7SEPT2014">{{Cite news |date=7 September 2014 |title=Ukraine's cease-fire in jeopardy as new fighting reported |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ukraines-cease-fire-in-jeopardy-as-new-fighting-reported/2014/09/07/cad0ca80-3689-11e4-8601-97ba88884ffd_story.html |access-date=7 September 2014}}</ref> DPR and LPR leaders said that they retained their desire for full independence from Ukraine, despite these concessions. Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] and Ukrainian president Poroshenko discussed the ceasefire on 6 September.<ref name="BBC6SEPT34">{{Citation |last=Keane |first=Fergal |title=Ukraine ceasefire: Silence on the streets of Mariupol |date=6 September 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29095968 |work=BBC News |access-date=6 September 2014}}</ref> Both parties said that they were satisfied with the ceasefire, and that it was generally holding.
[[File:Luhansk International Airport, September 4, 2014.jpg|thumb|left|A destroyed terminal at Luhansk airport, 4 September 2014]]
The ceasefire was broken multiple times on the night of 6–7 September, and into the day on 7 September.<ref name="ceasefire broken Guardian">{{Cite news |date=7 September 2014 |title=Ukraine and separatists blame each other after ceasefire broken |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/07/ukraine-rebels-ceasefire-broken-shelling |access-date=7 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="ceasefire broken WN">{{Cite web |date=7 September 2014 |title=Ukraine and separatists blame each other after ceasefire broken |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/07/ukraine-rebels-ceasefire-broken-shelling |access-date=13 April 2019 |website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name="BBC7SEPT2014">{{Cite news |date=7 September 2014 |title=Ukraine truce shaken by new shelling |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29098808 |access-date=7 September 2014}}</ref> These violations resulted in the deaths of four Ukrainian soldiers, whilst 29 were injured.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-casualties-idUSKBN0H40G920140909 Four Ukraine servicemen killed, 29 injured so far during ceasefire: Interfax], 9 September 2014</ref> Heavy shelling by the insurgents was reported on the eastern outskirts of Mariupol, and OSCE monitors said that the Ukrainian government had fired rockets from [[Donetsk International Airport]]. The OSCE said that these breaches of the agreement would not cause the ceasefire to collapse.<ref name="BBC7SEPT2014" /> Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]] said on 10 September that "70% of Russian troops have been moved back across the border", and also added that this action gave him "hope that the [[Minsk Agreement (2014)|peace initiatives]] have good prospects".<ref name="GD11sept">{{Cite news |date=10 September 2014 |title=Ukraine says most Russian troops have moved back across border |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/10/ukraine-russia-troops-border-east-poroshenko |access-date=11 September 2014}}</ref>
Ceasefire violations continued, however. In line with the Minsk Protocol, OSCE monitors said that they observed a [[prisoner exchange]] near [[Avdiivka]] at 03:40 on 12 September.<ref name="OSCE12SEPT">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 12 September 2014: Simultaneous Release of Hostages/Prisoners |date=12 September 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/123509 |access-date=12 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="CBC12SEPT">{{Cite news |date=12 September 2014 |title=Ukraine sanctions could be rolled back if Russia withdraws, U.S. says |publisher=CBC News |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-sanctions-could-be-rolled-back-if-russia-withdraws-u-s-says-1.2764118 |access-date=12 September 2014}}</ref> Ukrainian forces released 31 DPR insurgents, whilst DPR forces released 37 Ukrainian soldiers. OSCE monitors documented violations of the Minsk Protocol in numerous areas of Donetsk Oblast from 13 to 15 September.<ref name="OSCE15SEPT">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 15 September 2014: Monitoring to the east of Donetsk, SMM patrol vehicles hit by fire |date=15 September 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/123587 |access-date=15 September 2014}}</ref> These areas included [[Makiivka]], Telmanove, [[Debaltseve]], [[Petrovske]], near [[Mariupol]], [[Yasynuvata]], and [[Donetsk International Airport]], all of which saw intense fighting. Two of the armoured vehicles that the monitors were travelling in were struck by shrapnel, rendering one of the vehicles inoperable and forcing the monitors to retreat.<ref name="OSCE15SEPT" />
According to the monitors, troop and equipment movements were being carried out by both DPR and Ukrainian forces. They also said that there were "command and control issues" amongst both parties to the conflict.<ref name="OSCE15SEPT" /> A visit by the monitors to [[Luhansk International Airport]] took place on 20 September.<ref name="OSCE22SEPT">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 21 September 2014 |date=22 September 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/123921 |access-date=23 September 2014}}</ref> They said that the airport was "completely destroyed", and entirely unusable. Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]] said on 21 September that the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost between 60% and 65% of its total active equipment over the course of the war.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 September 2014 |script-title=ru:На передовой уничтожили 60–65% военной техники в частях – П.Порошенко |language=ru |work=Ukrainian National News |url=http://www.unn.com.ua/ru/news/1387749-na-peredoviy-bulo-znischeno-60-65-viyskovoyi-tekhniki-v-chastinakh-p-poroshenko |access-date=21 September 2014}}</ref>
[[File:2014. Кузнечный фестиваль в Донецке 370.jpg|thumb|A DPR policemen in Donetsk, 20 September 2014]]
Members of the [[Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine|Trilateral Contact Group]] and the DPR took part in a video conference on 25 September 2014.<ref name="OSCE26SEPT">{{Cite press release |title=Press Statement by the Trilateral Contact Group |date=26 September 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/home/124451 |access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref> According to a statement released by the OSCE on the day after the conference, all parties agreed that the fighting had "subsided in recent days", and that the "situation along 70%" of the buffer zone was "calm". They also said that they would "spare no efforts" to strengthen the ceasefire.<ref name="OSCE26SEPT" /> Scattered violations of the ceasefire continued, nonetheless. In the most significant incident since the start of the ceasefire, seven Ukrainian soldiers died on 29 September when a tank shell struck the armoured personnel carrier that they were travelling in near Donetsk International Airport.<ref name="BBC29SEPT">{{Cite news |date=29 September 2014 |title='Seven Ukraine troops die' in deadliest post-truce attack |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29415162 |access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref> A skirmish ensued, leaving many soldiers wounded. Over the next few days, [[Second Battle of Donetsk Airport|fighting continued]] around Donetsk International Airport, whilst Donetsk city itself came under heavy shelling.<ref name="OSCE2OCT">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 1 October 2014 |date=2 October 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/124979 |access-date=3 October 2014}}</ref><ref name="OSCE3OCT">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 2 October 2014 |date=3 October 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/125107 |access-date=3 October 2014}}</ref> Amidst this renewed violence, OSCE chairman [[Didier Burkhalter]] issued a statement that "urged all sides to immediately stop fighting", and also said that putting the ceasefire at risk of collapse would be "irresponsible and deplorable".<ref name="OSCE2OCTst">{{Cite press release |title=Truce too important for stabilization to be carelessly put at risk, Swiss OSCE Chair says after new outbreak of violence |date=2 October 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/cio/125003 |access-date=3 October 2014}}</ref>
According to a report released by the UN [[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]] (OHCHR) on 8 October, the ceasefire implemented by the Minsk Protocol was becoming "increasingly fragile".<ref name="OHCHR9OCT2014">{{Cite press release |title=Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine |date=16 September 2014 |publisher=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |url=http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/OHCHR_sixth_report_on_Ukraine.pdf |access-date=9 October 2014}}</ref> The statement that announced the release of the report said that at least 331 people had been killed since the start of ceasefire, and that the most fierce fighting took place around [[Donetsk International Airport]], [[Debaltseve]], and [[Shchastia]].<ref name="UN8OCT">{{Cite press release |title=Protracted conflict in eastern Ukraine continues to take heavy toll on civilians |date=8 October 2014 |publisher=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15143&LangID=E |access-date=9 October 2014}}</ref> The report also said that the majority of civilian deaths were caused by both insurgent and Ukrainian shelling.<ref name="NYT8OCT">{{Cite news |last=Cumming-Bruce |first=Nick |date=8 October 2014 |title=331 Have Died Since Ukraine Signed Truce, U.N. Reports |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/world/europe/at-least-331-have-been-killed-in-ukraine-since-start-of-cease-fire-un-reports.html |access-date=9 October 2014}}</ref> Several hundred [[National Guard of Ukraine|National Guard]] troops protested outside the Ukrainian [[Presidential Administration Building (Kyiv)|presidential administration building]] in Kyiv on 13 October.<ref name="KP14OCT2014">{{Cite news |date=14 October 2014 |title=Politicians, activists slam National Guard protest as unpatriotic |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/politicians-activists-slam-national-guard-protest-as-unpatriotic-367935.html |access-date=16 October 2014}}</ref> They demanded the end of conscription, and their own demobilisation.<ref name="KP14OCT2014" /> According to ''[[Kyiv Post]]'', many of the protesters stated that they had clashed with [[Euromaidan]] protesters, and that they were not in favour of that movement.<ref name="KP14OCT2014" />
=== November 2014 separatist elections and aftermath ===
{{Main|2014 Donbas general elections}}
[[File:Donetsk suburb after shelling.jpg|thumb|Donetsk suburb after shelling, 7 November 2014]]
Heavy fighting continued across the Donbas through October, despite the ceasefire. In violation of the procedure agreed to as part of the [[Minsk Protocol]], DPR and LPR authorities [[2014 Donbas general elections|held parliamentary and executive elections]] on 2 November.<ref name="OSCE31OCT">{{Cite press release |title=So-called elections not in line with Minsk Protocol, says OSCE Chair, calling for enhanced efforts and dialogue to implement all commitments |date=31 October 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/cio/126242 |access-date=1 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="NYT2NOV">{{Cite news |last=Kramer |first=Andrew E. |date=2 November 2014 |title=Rebel-Backed Elections to Cement Status Quo in Ukraine |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/03/world/europe/rebel-backed-elections-in-eastern-ukraine.html |access-date=3 November 2014}}</ref> In response to the elections, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko asked parliament to revoke the "special status" that was granted to DPR and LPR-controlled areas as part of the Minsk Protocol.<ref name="KP4NOV2014">{{Cite news |date=4 November 2014 |title=Poroshenko calls on lawmakers to revoke special status for east, sends more troops to key cities |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/poroshenko-calls-on-lawmakers-to-revoke-special-status-for-east-sends-more-troops-to-key-cities-370640.html |access-date=6 November 2014}}</ref> DPR deputy prime minister [[Andrei Purgin]] said that Ukrainian forces had launched "all-out war" against the DPR and LPR on 6 November.<ref name="RE6NOV2014">{{Cite news |date=6 November 2014 |title=Ukrainian forces deny launching fresh offensive in east |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-military-idUSKBN0IQ1RJ20141106 |access-date=6 November 2014}}</ref>
Ukrainian officials denied any offensive and said that they would adhere to the Minsk Protocol. Despite this, battles continued across the Donbas, leaving many soldiers dead. Concurrently, separatist representatives requested a redraughting of the Minsk Protocol, as a result of recurrent violations.<ref name="RE6NOV2014" /> Intermittent shelling of Donetsk renewed on 5 November.<ref name="BBC9NOV">{{Cite news |date=9 November 2014 |title=Heavy bombardment in rebel-held Donetsk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29975341 |access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref> OSCE monitors reported on 8 November that there were large movements of unmarked heavy equipment in separatist-held territory.<ref name="OSCE8NOV">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 8 November 2014 |date=8 November 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/126483 |access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref>
These movements included armoured personnel carriers, lorries, petrol tankers, and tanks, which were being manned and escorted by men in dark green uniforms without insignias.<ref name="OSCE8NOV" /> Ukrainian government spokesmen said that these were movements of Russian troops, but this could not be independently verified.<ref name="GD7NOV">{{Cite news |date=7 November 2014 |title=Ukraine says Russian military column has entered east of country |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/07/ukraine-russian-military-column-east |access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref> Overnight into 9 November, intense shelling from both government and insurgent positions rocked Donetsk.<ref name="BBC9NOV" /> OSCE chairman [[Didier Burkhalter]] said that he was "very concerned" about the "resurgence of violence", and stressed the importance of adhering to the [[Minsk Protocol]].<ref name="OSCE9NOV">{{Cite press release |title=Concerned about latest SMM reports of activities undermining Minsk commitments, OSCE Chair calls on all sides to preserve and consolidate ceasefire |date=8 November 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/cio/126484 |access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref> OSCE monitors observed more munitions convoys in separatist-held territory on 9 November.<ref name="OSCE9NOVE">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 9 November 2014 |date=9 November 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/126485 |access-date=10 November 2014}}</ref> These included 17 unmarked green [[ZiL]] lorries loaded with ammunition at [[Sverdlovsk, Ukraine|Sverdlovsk]], and 17 similar [[Kamaz]] lorries towing howitzers at [[Zuhres]]. Another convoy of 43 green military lories, some towing howitzers and rocket launchers, was observed by OSCE monitors in Donetsk on 11 November.<ref name="OSCE11NOV">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 11 November 2014 |date=11 November 2014 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/126556 |access-date=11 November 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Damaged building in Kurakhove, Donetsk region.jpg|thumb|left|Damaged building in [[Kurakhove]], 26 November 2014]]
Following the reports of these troop and equipment movements, NATO [[Philip Breedlove|General Philip Breedlove]] said on 12 November that he could confirm that Russian troops and heavy equipment had crossed into Ukraine during the preceding week.<ref name="BBC12NOV">{{Cite news |date=12 November 2014 |title=Russian troops crossed border, Nato says |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30025138 |access-date=12 November 2014}}</ref> In response, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said that it was preparing for a renewed offensive by pro-Russian forces.<ref name="REU12NOV">{{Cite news |date=12 November 2014 |title=Ukraine redeploys troops, fearing new rebel offensive |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-military-idUSKCN0IW16T20141112 |access-date=12 November 2014}}</ref> Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Major General [[Igor Konashenkov]] said "there was and is no evidence" to support NATO's statement.<ref name="BBC12NOV" />
By 2 December, at least 1,000 people had died during fighting in Donbas, since the signing of the Minsk Protocol in early September.<ref name="2DECBBC">{{Cite news |date=2 December 2014 |title=Ukraine, Russia and the ceasefire that never was |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30290310 |access-date=2 December 2014}}</ref> A BBC report said that the ceasefire had been "a fiction". In light of this continued fighting, Ukrainian and separatist forces agreed to cease all military operations for a "Day of Silence" on 9 December.<ref name="BBC9DEC">{{Cite news |date=9 December 2014 |title=Shaky ceasefire holds as talks expected |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30384665 |access-date=9 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="NYT10DEC">{{Cite news |last=Kramer |first=Andrew E. |date=10 December 2014 |title=Ukrainian Military and Rebels Observe 'Silent Day' |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/world/europe/ukrainian-military-and-separatists-observe-silent-day.html |access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref> Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said that he hoped that the "Day of Silence" would encourage the signing of a new peace deal. Whilst no new peace talks took place following the "Day of Silence", fighting between Ukrainian and separatist forces lessened significantly over the course of December.<ref name="REU19dec">{{Cite news |date=19 December 2014 |title=Rebels say new Ukraine peace talks will not take place on Sunday: IFX |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-military-idUSKBN0JX11B20141219 |access-date=20 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="17DECGD">{{Cite news |date=17 December 2014 |title=Ukraine ceasefire leaves frontline counting cost of war in uneasy calm |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/17/ukraine-ceasefire-frontline-counting-cost-war-uneasy-calm |access-date=20 December 2014}}</ref> A report by the [[International Crisis Group]] stated that the late 2014 [[2014 Russian financial crisis|financial crisis in Russia]], in tandem with American and European [[International sanctions during the 2013–15 Ukrainian Crisis|economic sanctions]], deterred further advances by pro-Russian forces.<ref name="EUADW">{{Cite web |date=18 December 2014 |title=Eastern Ukraine: A Dangerous Winter |url=http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/ukraine/235-eastern-ukraine-a-dangerous-winter.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220075521/http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/ukraine/235-eastern-ukraine-a-dangerous-winter.pdf |archive-date=20 December 2014 |access-date=20 December 2014 |publisher=International Crisis Group}}</ref> The report also raised concerns about the potential for "humanitarian catastrophe" in separatist-controlled Donbas during the cold winter months, saying that the separatists were unable "to provide basic services for the population".
[[File:Ruins of Donetsk International airport (16).jpg|thumb|Ruins of Donetsk International Airport, December 2014. The control tower has since been completely destroyed.]]
In line with the [[Minsk Protocol]], more prisoner exchanges took place during the week of 21–27 December.<ref name="BBC26DEC">{{Cite news |date=26 December 2014 |title=Ukraine and rebels trade prisoners in Donetsk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30606486 |access-date=29 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="REU26DEC">{{Cite news |date=26 December 2014 |title=Kiev, rebels exchange POWs; trains, buses to Crimea suspended |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-prisoners-idUSKBN0K40IZ20141226 |access-date=29 December 2014}}</ref> More OSCE-organised talks were held in [[Minsk]] during that week, but they reached no result. In a press conference on 29 December, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that the Minsk Protocol was becoming effective "point by point", and also said that "progress" was being made.<ref name="KP29DEC">{{Cite news |date=29 December 2014 |title=Poroshenko: Despite Minsk agreements, martial law is still an option |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/poroshenko-despite-minsk-agreements-martial-law-is-still-an-option-376395.html |access-date=29 December 2014}}</ref> Since the signing of the Protocol, over 1,500 people held by the separatists had been released as part of the prisoner exchanges. Whereas Ukrainian forces had been losing about 100 men per day prior to the Protocol, only about 200 had been killed in the four months since its signing. Poroshenko also said that he believed that conflict would only end if Russian troops were to leave Donbas.<ref name="KP29DEC" />
=== Escalation in January 2015 ===
{{See also|Volnovakha bus attack|Second Battle of Donetsk Airport|Battle of Debaltseve|January 2015 Mariupol attack}}
OSCE monitors reported a "rise in tensions" following New Year's Day.<ref name="OSCE5JAN">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time) |date=5 January 2015 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/133421 |access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref> Numerous ceasefire violations were recorded, with most occurring near [[Donetsk International Airport]]. Infighting amongst insurgent groups broke out in Luhansk Oblast.<ref name="NYT5JAN2015">{{Cite news |last=Kramer |first=Andrew E. |date=5 January 2015 |title=French Leader Urges End to Sanctions Against Russia Over Ukraine |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/06/world/europe/francois-hollande-says-destabilizing-sanctions-on-russia-must-stop-now.html |access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref> In one incident, LPR militants said that they had killed [[Alexander Bednov]], the leader of the pro-Russian "Batman Battalion", on 2 January 2015. LPR officials said that Bednov had been running an "illegal prison", and that he had engaged in torturing prisoners.<ref name="KP3JAN">{{Cite news |date=3 January 2015 |title=Abuse, torture revealed at separatists' prison in Luhansk |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/abuse-torture-revealed-at-self-proclaimed-luhansk-peoples-republic-illegal-prison-376631.html |access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref> In another incident, the leader of an [[Antratsyt]]-based [[Don Cossack]] militant group, Nikolai Kozitsyn, said that the territory controlled by his group, claimed by the Luhansk People's Republic, had become part of the "Russian empire", and that Russian president Vladimir Putin was its "emperor".<ref name="NYT5JAN2015" /> An intercity bus stopped at a government checkpoint in Buhas [[Volnovakha bus attack|was hit]] by a [[Grad rocket]] on 13 January, killing 12 civilians.<ref name="OSCE14JAN">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, 14 January 2015: 12 civilians killed and 17 wounded when a rocket exploded close to a civilian bus near Volnovakha |date=14 January 2015 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/134636 |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="bbc13JAN">{{Cite news |date=13 January 2015 |title=Shell hits bus 'killing 10' in Buhas |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30798426 |access-date=13 January 2015}}</ref> Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko declared a day of national mourning.<ref name="UT15JAN">{{Cite news |date=15 January 2015 |title=OSCE confirms Grad strike on east Ukraine bus and says insurgents will be included in investigation |work=Ukraine Today |url=http://uatoday.tv/politics/osce-confirms-grad-strike-on-east-ukraine-bus-and-says-insurgents-will-be-included-in-investigation-402988.html |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref> Buhas is {{convert|35|km|mi}} south-west of Donetsk city.
[[File:2014-12-25. Открытие новогодней ёлки в Донецке 13.JPG|thumb|DPR [[Sparta Battalion]] commander [[Arsen Pavlov|Arseny Pavlov]], Donetsk, 25 December 2014]]
The new terminal building at [[Donetsk International Airport]], which had been a site of fighting between Ukrainian and separatist troops since May 2014, was captured by the DPR forces on 15 January.<ref name="15JANGUARD">{{Cite news |date=15 January 2015 |title=Russia-backed separatists seize Donetsk airport in Ukraine |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/15/russian-backed-separatists-seize-donetsk-airport-ukraine |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref> In the days prior to the capturing, the airport was heavily barraged by separatist rocket fire.<ref name="NY13JAN">{{Cite news |last=Roth |first=Andrew |date=13 January 2015 |title=10 Are Killed in Ukraine as Diplomacy Hits a Wall |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/world/europe/10-civilians-are-killed-in-ukraine-as-cease-fire-grows-more-fragile.html |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="NYT14JAN">{{Cite news |date=14 January 2015 |title=Lack of Aid Deepens Suffering in Conflict-Hit East Ukraine |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/14/world/europe/ap-eu-ukraine-aid-crunch.html |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref> DPR leader [[Alexander Zakharchenko]] stated that the capture of the airport was the first step toward regaining territory lost to Ukrainian forces during the middle of 2014. He said "Let our countrymen hear this: We will not just give up our land. We will either take it back peacefully, or like that", referring to the capture of the airport.<ref name="15JANGUARD" />
Such an offensive by separatist forces would signal the complete breakdown of the frequently ignored [[Minsk Protocol]], which established a buffer zone between Ukrainian-controlled and separatist-controlled territories.<ref name="REU21JAN22">{{Cite news |date=21 January 2015 |title=Ukraine accuses separatists of abusing Minsk deal with land grab |work=Reuters |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-klimkin-idINKBN0KT1VD20150120 |access-date=22 January 2015}}</ref> Ukrainian forces said that there had been "no order to retreat" from the airport, and DPR parliament chairman [[Andrey Purgin]] said that while DPR forces had gained control of the terminal buildings, fighting was ongoing because "the Ukrainians have lots of places to hide".<ref name="IND15JAN">{{Cite news |last=Carroll |first=Oliver |date=15 January 2015 |title=Residents flee savagery of the battle for Donetsk's airport |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-crisis-residents-flee-savagery-of-the-battle-for-donetsks-airport-9981531.html |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref> Concurrently, a new round of Minsk talks, scheduled for 16 January by the [[Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine]], was called off after DPR and LPR leaders [[Alexander Zakharchenko]] and [[Igor Plotnitsky]] refused to attend.<ref name="15JANIF">{{Cite news |date=15 January 2015 |title=No Contact Group meeting without Zakharchenko, Plotnytsky – Kuchma |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/244837.html |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref>
A government military operation at the weekend of 17–18 January resulted in Ukrainian forces recapturing most of Donetsk International Airport.<ref name="REU18JAN">{{Cite news |date=18 January 2015 |title=Ukrainian troops retake most of Donetsk airport from rebels |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-military-idUKKBN0KR0DD20150118 |access-date=18 January 2015}}</ref> According to [[National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine|Ukrainian NSDC]] representative Andriy Lysenko, the operation restored the lines of control established by the [[Minsk Protocol]], and therefore did not constitute a violation of it. The operation caused fighting to move toward Donetsk proper, resulting in heavy shelling of residential areas of the city that border the airport.<ref name="REU18JAN" /> DPR authorities said that they halted government forces at Putylivskiy bridge, which connects the airport and the city proper.<ref name="BBC19JAN">{{Cite news |date=19 January 2015 |title=Ukraine conflict: Battles rage in Donetsk and Luhansk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30878406 |access-date=19 January 2015}}</ref> The bridge, which is strategically important, was destroyed during the fighting. OSCE monitors reported that shelling had caused heavy damage in the Donetsk residential districts of [[Kyivskyi District, Donetsk|Kyivskyi]], [[Kirovskyi District, Donetsk|Kirovskyi]], [[Petrovsky District, Donetsk|Petrovskyi]], and [[Voroshylovskyi District, Donetsk|Voroshilovskyi]].<ref name="OSCE20JAN">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 19 January 2015 |date=20 January 2015 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/135491 |access-date=20 January 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Battle for Donetsk airport, 16 January 2015.jpg|thumb|left|250px|DPR Somalia Battalion in the new terminal building of Donetsk Airport on 16 January 2015]]
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on 21 January that Russia had deployed more than 9,000 soldiers and 500 tanks, artillery units, and armoured personnel carriers in Donbas.<ref name="BBC15JAn">{{Cite news |date=21 January 2015 |title=Ukraine conflict: US accuses rebels of 'land grab' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30928107 |access-date=21 January 2015}}</ref> An article that appeared in ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' said that deployment appeared to be "a response to Kyiv's success" in retaining control of Donetsk International Airport.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Blair |first=David |date=21 January 2015 |title=Russia sends 9,000 troops into Ukraine, says Petro Poroshenko |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11361286/Russia-sends-9000-troops-into-Ukraine-says-Petro-Poroshenko.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11361286/Russia-sends-9000-troops-into-Ukraine-says-Petro-Poroshenko.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=21 January 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On the same day, Ukrainian forces attempted to surround the airport in an attempt to push back the insurgents.<ref name="KP22JAN">{{Cite news |date=22 January 2015 |title=Donetsk Airport overrun by rebels, say army volunteers |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/donetsk-airport-overrun-by-rebels-say-army-volunteers-378037.html |access-date=4 June 2015}}</ref> As Ukrainian and DPR forces fought away from the airport, a group of insurgents stormed the first and third floors of the new terminal building. Ukrainian troops held out on the second floor of the building until the ceiling collapsed, killing several soldiers.<ref name="KP22JAN" /> The remaining Ukrainian forces were either captured, killed, or were forced to withdraw from the airport, allowing DPR forces to overrun it. According to one volunteer, 37 Ukrainian troops died.<ref name="KP22JAN" /> ''The Daily Telegraph'' called the Ukrainian defeat at the airport "devastating".<ref name="DT22JAN">{{Cite news |last=Oliphant |first=Roland |date=22 January 2015 |title=Pro-Russia separatists vow further advances into Ukraine after taking Donetsk airport |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11363929/Pro-Russia-separatists-vow-further-advances-into-Ukraine-after-taking-Donetsk-airport.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11363929/Pro-Russia-separatists-vow-further-advances-into-Ukraine-after-taking-Donetsk-airport.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=23 January 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
[[File:Ded Moroz visits children in Donetsk bomb shelter, 6 January 2015 (4).jpg|thumb|Donetsk civilians living in bomb shelter, January 2015]]
Following this victory, separatist forces began to attack Ukrainian forces along the line of control in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.<ref name="REU22JAN">{{Cite news |date=22 January 2015 |title=Ukraine's forces hold line against Russian troops, rebels – Poroshenko |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-casualties-idUKKBN0KV0LQ20150122 |access-date=23 January 2015}}</ref> Particularly heavy fighting broke out along the [[Siverskyi Donets River]], to the north-west of [[Luhansk]] city. Separatist forces captured a Ukrainian checkpoint at Krymske, attacked other checkpoints in the area, and shelled villages near [[Shchastia]].<ref name="KP2332">{{Cite news |date=22 January 2015 |title=Fighting under way on Bakhmutka road in Luhansk Oblast |work=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/fighting-under-way-on-bakhmutka-road-in-luhansk-oblast-378083.html |access-date=23 January 2015}}</ref> Separatist forces also began [[Battle of Debaltseve|an assault]] on the government-controlled town of [[Debaltseve]] in north-eastern [[Donetsk Oblast]], barraging it with artillery fire.<ref name="FRDElDEL">{{Cite news |date=23 January 2015 |title=The fight to defend Ukraine's strategic Debaltseve |publisher=France 24 |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20150123-video-ukraine-military-defend-strategic-eastern-town-debaltseve-pro-russia-separatists/ |url-status=dead |access-date=25 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150124123633/http://www.france24.com/en/20150123-video-ukraine-military-defend-strategic-eastern-town-debaltseve-pro-russia-separatists/ |archive-date=24 January 2015}}</ref> In addition, the DPR launched [[January 2015 Mariupol attack|an attack]] on Mariupol from [[Shyrokyne]] during the morning of 24 January. A hail of Grad rockets killed at least 30 people, and wounded another 83.<ref name="REU24j">{{Cite news |date=24 January 2015 |title=Rebels say launched attack on Mariupol as 20 killed in east Ukraine city |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-casualties-idUSKBN0KX08B20150124 |access-date=24 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="OSCE24JAN">{{Cite press release |title=Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 24 January 2015: Shelling Incident on Olimpiiska Street in Mariupol |date=24 January 2015 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/136061 |access-date=24 January 2015}}</ref> Heavy fighting [[Battle of Debaltseve#Closing the "kettle"|continued in Debaltseve]] over the next week, resulting in many civilian and combatant casualties.<ref name="AP321">{{Cite news |last=Peter Leonard |date=31 January 2015 |title=Civilians flee east Ukraine town as fighting intensifies |agency=Associated Press |url=http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2015-01-31-EU--Ukraine/id-21c944f206034ca882fc9af9090c9ec7 |access-date=31 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202012237/http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2015-01-31-EU--Ukraine/id-21c944f206034ca882fc9af9090c9ec7 |archive-date=2 February 2015}}</ref>
French president [[François Hollande]] and German chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] put forth a new peace plan on 7 February. The Franco-German plan, drawn up after talks with Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko and Russian president Vladimir Putin, was seen as a revival of the [[Minsk Protocol]]. President Hollande said that the plan was the "last chance" for resolution of the conflict.<ref name="7FEB2052">{{Cite news |date=7 February 2015 |title=Ukraine crisis: 'Last chance' for peace says Hollande |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31185027 |access-date=7 February 2015}}</ref><ref name="wew223">{{Cite news |last=Doroshev |first=Anton |date=7 February 2015 |title=Putin Rejects Attempts to Contain Russia After Peace Talks Fail |work=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-07/putin-rejects-attempts-to-contain-russia-after-peace-talks-fail |access-date=7 February 2015}}</ref> The plan was put forth in response to American proposals to send armaments to the Ukrainian government, something that Chancellor Merkel said would only result in a worsening of the crisis.<ref name="7FEB2052" /><ref name="7FEBNYT">{{Cite news |last1=Gordon |first1=Michael R. |last2=Smale |first2=Alison |last3=Erlanger |first3=Steven |date=7 February 2015 |title=Western Nations Split on Arming Kiev |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/world/europe/divisions-on-display-over-western-response-to-ukraine-at-security-conference.html |access-date=7 February 2015}}</ref>
Fighting worsened in the run-up to the scheduled 11 February talks to discuss the Franco-German peace plan. DPR forces shelled the city of [[Kramatorsk]] on 10 February, which had last seen fighting in July 2014. The shelling targeted the city's Armed Forces headquarters, but also hit a nearby residential area. Seven people were killed, while 26 were wounded.<ref name="BBC10FEB">{{Cite news |date=10 February 2015 |title=Ukraine conflict: Battles rage ahead of Minsk talks |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31357588 |access-date=10 February 2015}}</ref> In addition, the pro-government [[Azov Battalion]] launched [[Shyrokyne standoff (February–July 2015)|an offensive]] to recapture separatist-controlled areas on the outskirts of Mariupol, centred on the village of Shyrokyne. Battalion commander [[Andriy Biletsky (politician)|Andriy Biletsky]] said his forces were moving toward [[Novoazovsk]].<ref name="BBC10FEB" />
In October 2015 a member of the monitoring mission Maksim Udovichenko, delegated to OSCE by Russia, was suspended for "misbehavior" involving alcohol while in Severodonetsk and admitted he is actually a GRU officer.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Quinn |first=Allison |date=30 October 2015 |title=Russian OSCE monitor in Ukraine fired after 'drunkenly saying he was a Moscow spy' |journal=The Daily Telegraph |language=en-GB |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11965191/Russian-OSCE-monitor-in-Ukraine-fired-after-drunkenly-saying-he-was-a-Moscow-spy.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11965191/Russian-OSCE-monitor-in-Ukraine-fired-after-drunkenly-saying-he-was-a-Moscow-spy.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=13 May 2020 |issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
=== Minsk II ceasefire and denouement ===
[[File:OSCE SMM monitoring the movement of heavy weaponry in eastern Ukraine (16544235410).jpg|Withdrawal of Ukrainian heavy weaponry, March 2015|alt=|thumb]]
{{Main|Minsk II}}
{{See also|OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine}}
The scheduled summit at [[Minsk]] on 11 February 2015 resulted in the signing of a new package of peacemaking measures, called [[Minsk II]], on 12 February.<ref name="BBC12FEB">{{Cite news |date=12 February 2015 |title=Ukraine crisis: Leaders agree peace roadmap |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31435812 |access-date=12 February 2015}}</ref> The plan, similar in content to the failed [[Minsk Protocol]], called for an unconditional ceasefire, to begin on 15 February, amongst many other measures.<ref name="BBC12FEB" /><ref name="FR2243566">{{Cite web |date=12 February 2015 |title=Ukraine's warring parties agree to February 15 ceasefire |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20150212-deal-ceasefire-agreed-ukraine-crisis-minsk-putin-hollande/ |access-date=12 February 2015 |publisher=France 24}}</ref> Despite the signing of Minsk II, fighting [[Battle of Debaltseve|continued around Debaltseve]].<ref name="BBC18FEBY">{{Cite news |date=18 February 2015 |title=Ukraine troops retreat from key town of Debaltseve |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31519000 |access-date=20 February 2015}}</ref> DPR forces said that ceasefire did not apply to Debaltseve, and continued their offensive. Ukrainian forces were forced to withdraw from the Debaltseve area on 18 February, leaving separatist forces in control of it.<ref name="GD18FEBY">{{Cite news |date=18 February 2015 |title=Ukrainian soldiers share horrors of Debaltseve battle after stinging defeat |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/18/ukrainian-soldiers-share-horrors-of-debaltseve-battle-after-stinging-defeat |access-date=20 February 2015}}</ref> In the week after the fall of Debaltseve to pro-Russian forces, fighting in the conflict zone abated.<ref name="REU26FEBY">{{Cite news |date=26 February 2015 |title=Ukraine begins artillery withdrawal, recognising truce is holding |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-idUKKBN0LU1E720150226 |access-date=26 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226201619/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/uk-ukraine-crisis-idUKKBN0LU1E720150226 |archive-date=26 February 2015}}</ref> DPR and LPR forces began to withdraw artillery from the front lines as specified by Minsk II on 24 February, and Ukraine did so on 26 February. Ukraine reported that it had suffered no casualties during 24–26 February, something that had not occurred since early January 2015.<ref name="REU26FEBY" /><ref name="UT26FEBY">{{Cite news |date=26 February 2015 |title=Ukraine Heavy Arms Withdrawal: Situation in country's east stabilizes, says military spokesperson |work=Ukraine Today |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY0sMKuEXN0 |access-date=26 February 2015}}</ref>
Minor skirmishes continued into March, but the ceasefire was largely observed across the combat zone. Ukrainian and separatist forces had withdrawn most of the heavy weaponry specified in Minsk II by 10 March.<ref name="BBC10MARCH">{{Cite news |date=10 March 2015 |title=Poroshenko confirms rebel weapons moved |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31806946 |access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref> Minor violations of the ceasefire continued throughout March and into April, though it continued to hold, and the numbers of casualties reported by both sides were greatly reduced.<ref name="UKD246">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2015 |title=The Ukraine Crisis: Risks of Renewed Military Conflict after Minsk II |url=http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/ukraine/b073-the-ukraine-crisis-risks-of-renewed-military-conflict-after-minsk-ii.ashx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403051230/http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/ukraine/b073-the-ukraine-crisis-risks-of-renewed-military-conflict-after-minsk-ii.ashx |archive-date=3 April 2015 |access-date=8 April 2015 |website=Crisis Group Europe Briefing N°73 |publisher=International Crisis Group |location=Kyiv |format=ASHX file |postscript=: To open the ASHX file, change file type extension from .ashx to .pdf.}}</ref><ref name="BBCpisk2">{{Cite news |date=20 March 2015 |title=Ukraine: On the frontline of the supposed ceasefire |work=BBC News |location=Pisky, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOmWjP1HIGQ |access-date=8 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="dke32">{{Cite news |date=9 April 2015 |title=Ukraine ceasefire talks set to resume |work=9news.co.au |agency=Agence France-Presse |url=http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/04/09/02/59/ukraine-ceasefire-talks-set-to-resume |access-date=8 April 2015}}</ref> Fighting flared up again on 3 June 2015, when [[Battle of Marinka|DPR insurgents launched an attack]] on government-controlled [[Marinka, Ukraine|Marinka]]. Artillery and tanks were utilised in the battle there, which was described as the heaviest fighting since the signing of Minsk II.<ref name="BBC3JUNE2015">{{Cite news |date=3 June 2015 |title=Ukraine crisis: Heavy fighting rages near Donetsk, despite truce |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32988499 |access-date=3 June 2015}}</ref>
[[File:A Russia-backed rebel armored fighting vehicles convoy near Donetsk, Eastern Ukraine, May 30, 2015.jpg|left|thumb|DPR armoured vehicles near Donetsk, May 2015]]
An anti-war protest took place in Donetsk city on 15 June.<ref name="UN15JUNE">{{Cite news |date=15 June 2015 |title=About 500 people attend anti-war protest in centre of Donetsk |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |url=http://www.unian.info/politics/1089525 |url-status=dead |access-date=21 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716035134/http://www.unian.info/politics/1089525 |archive-date=16 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="OSCE16JU15">{{Cite press release |title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 19:30 (Kyiv time), 15 June 2015 |date=16 June 2015 |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/164746 |access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref> The protest, the first of its kind in pro-Russian separatist-controlled territory, called for an end to the fighting in Donbas. About 500 people, who had gathered outside the RSA building, shouted, "Stop the war!", "Give us back our houses, our homes are broken!", and "Get out of here!" Specifically, protesters demanded that the separatists cease firing rocket attacks from residential areas on the outskirts of Donetsk.<ref name="UN15JUNE" /><ref name="FB17JUN15">{{Cite news |date=17 June 2015 |title=Residents of Donbass Tell Separatists To Leave: A Glimmer Of Hope? |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulroderickgregory/2015/06/17/residents-of-donbass-tell-separatists-to-leave-a-glimmer-of-hope/ |access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref>
Whilst all parties to the conflict continued to support implementation of the measures specified by Minsk II, minor skirmishes continued on a daily basis through June and July 2015. Ukrainian troops suffered losses on a daily basis, and the ceasefire was labelled "unworkable" and "impossible to implement". Despite constant fighting and shelling along the line of contact, no territorial changes occurred.<ref name="AXJ23424">{{Cite news |date=14 July 2015 |title=Ukraine's forgotten ceasefire |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2015/07/ukraines-forgotten-ceasefire-150713075152583.html |access-date=26 July 2015}}</ref> This state of stalemate led the war to be labelled a "[[frozen conflict]]".<ref name="REU21JULY2015">{{Cite news |last=Tsvetkova |first=Maria |date=21 July 2015 |title=Ceasefire brings limited respite for east Ukrainians |work=Euronews |agency=Reuters |url=http://www.euronews.com/newswires/3041823-ceasefire-brings-limited-respite-for-east-ukrainians/ |url-status=dead |access-date=26 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725132924/http://www.euronews.com/newswires/3041823-ceasefire-brings-limited-respite-for-east-ukrainians/ |archive-date=25 July 2015}}</ref>
Following months of ceasefire violations, the [[Government of Ukraine|Ukrainian government]], the [[Donetsk People's Republic|DPR]] and the [[Luhansk People's Republic|LPR]] jointly agreed to halt all fighting, starting on 1 September 2015. This agreement coincided with the start of the school year in Ukraine, and was intended to allow for another attempt at implementing the points of [[Minsk II]].<ref name="DW27AUG">{{Cite news |date=27 August 2015 |title=Ukraine and rebels to implement Minsk deal by September 1 |publisher=Deutsche Welle |url=http://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-and-rebels-to-implement-minsk-deal-by-september-1/a-18676610 |access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref> By 12 September, German Foreign Minister [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]] said that the ceasefire had been holding, and that the parties to the conflict were "very close" to reaching an agreement to withdraw heavy weaponry from the line of contact, as specified by Minsk II. The area around Mariupol, including [[Shyrokyne]], saw no fighting. According to Ukrainian Defence Minister [[Stepan Poltorak]], violence in the Donbas had reached its lowest level since the start of the war.<ref name="BBC13SEPT2015">{{Cite news |date=13 September 2015 |title=Ukraine ceasefire talks 'make significant progress' |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34236464 |access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref>
Whilst the ceasefire continued to hold into November, no final settlement to the conflict was agreed. ''The New York Times'' described this result as part of "a common arc of [[Post-Soviet conflicts|post-Soviet conflict]], visible in the Georgian enclaves of [[South Ossetia]] and [[Abkhazia]], [[Nagorno-Karabakh]] in Azerbaijan and in [[Transnistria]]", and said that separatist-controlled areas had become a "frozen zone", where people "live in ruins, amid a ruined ideology, in the ruins of the old empire."<ref name="NYT10NOV">{{Cite news |last=Kramer |first=Andrew E. |date=10 November 2015 |title=A Bleak Future in Eastern Ukraine's Frozen Zone |work=The New York Times |location=Donetsk |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/11/world/europe/ukraine-frozen-zone-virtual-reality.html |access-date=12 November 2015}}</ref> This state of affairs continued into 2016, with a 15 April report by the BBC labelling the conflict as "Europe's forgotten war".<ref name="BBC15APR16">{{Cite news |last=Burridge |first=Tom |date=15 April 2016 |title=Ukraine conflict: Daily reality of east's 'frozen war' |publisher=BBC |location=Ukraine |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35990401 |access-date=15 April 2016}}</ref> Minor outbreaks of fighting continued along the line of contact, though no major territorial changes occurred.<ref name="BBC15APR16" />
A new ceasefire came into effect on 1 September 2016, described at the time by BBC correspondent [[Tom Burridge]] as "the first time there has been a true halt to fighting in 11 months", and in 2018 described by TASS as the most successful ceasefire over the course of the conflict.<ref name="BBCnc1916">{{Cite news |date=1 September 2016 |title=Ukraine crisis: New ceasefire 'holding with eastern rebels' |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37243434 |access-date=9 September 2016}}</ref><ref name="tass.com/world/1027270"/> Within days both sides accused each other of breaching the ceasefire, although they also stated that the ceasefire was widely observed.<ref name="Xnc6916">{{Cite news |date=6 September 2016 |title=Fresh combat casualties reported in eastern Ukraine despite ceasefire |agency=[[Xinhua News Agency]] |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-09/06/c_135664492.htm |access-date=9 September 2016}}</ref> Nevertheless, on 6 September (2016), Ukrainian authorities reported the death of yet another soldier.<ref name="9916Ur">{{Cite news |date=9 September 2016 |title=One Ukrainian serviceman killed in Donbas in past 24 hours |agency=[[Interfax-Ukraine]] |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/369025.html |access-date=9 September 2016}}</ref> On 24 December 2016, the tenth indefinite ceasefire since the start of the conflict came into effect; according to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the Ukrainian government, and the separatists, the ceasefire was not observed.<ref name="10thcDd6117">[http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/12/24/ukraine-rebels-agree-new-indefinite-truce Ukraine rebels agree to new indefinite truce], [[SBS Australia]] (24 December 2016)<br />[http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/292676 Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 4 January 2017], [[OSCE]] (5 January 2017)<br />[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/395126.html Militants shell Ukrainian army positions 32 times in past 24 hours], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (6 January 2017)<br />[http://tass.com/world/923721 Kiev forces violate ceasefire three times over past 24 hours — news agency], [[TASS news agency]] (3 January 2017)</ref>
=== January 2017 eruption of heavy fighting and failed ceasefires ===
[[File:Передові_позиції_в_населеному_пункті_Піски.jpg|right|thumb|A view from a Ukrainian Armed Forces support point near [[Pisky, Yasynuvata Raion|Pisky]], January 2017]]
2016 was the first full calendar year of the conflict in which Ukraine lost no territories to pro-Russian forces.<ref name="HrWD169117" /> In addition, both the Ukrainian Armed Forces (211 combat losses and 256 non-combat losses) and the local populace (13 in Ukrainian government-controlled areas) suffered many fewer casualties than in 2015.<ref name="HrWD169117">[http://en.hromadske.ua/articles/show/2016_for_Donbas The Best of the Worst: What 2016 Was Like for Donbas], [[Hromadske TV|Hromadske International]] (9 January 2017)</ref> The new year, however, brought a new eruption of heavy fighting, starting on 29 January 2017, [[Battle of Avdiivka|centred on the Ukrainian-controlled city of Avdiivka]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Christopher |date=2 February 2017 |title=Fighting Flares in Avdiyivka: Epicenter of major escalation in Russia's war |work=Kyiv Post |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/avdiyivka-becomes-center-major-escalation-russias-war-least-10-killed.html |access-date=4 February 2017}}</ref>
On 18 February 2017, Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] signed a decree whereby the Russian authorities would recognise personal and vehicle-registration documents issued by the DPR and LPR.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dearden |first=Lizzie |date=18 February 2017 |title=Vladimir Putin issues executive order recognising separatist 'authorities' in Ukraine |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vladimir-putin-donald-trump-ukraine-war-crimea-rebels-separatists-executive-order-documents-donetsk-a7587666.html |access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref> The presidential decree referred to "permanent residents of certain areas of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts", without any mention of the self-proclaimed People's Republics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Указ о признании документов, выданных гражданам Украины и лицам без гражданства, проживающим на территориях отдельных районов Донецкой и Луганской областей Украины |url=http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/53895}}</ref> Ukrainian authorities decried the decree as being directly contradictory to the Minsk II agreement and that it "legally recognised the quasi-state terrorist groups which cover Russia's occupation of part of [[Donbas]]."<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39018429 Russia accepts passports issued by east Ukraine rebels], [[BBC News]] (19 February 2017)</ref> [[Secretary General]] of the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE) [[Lamberto Zannier]] stated on 19 February the decree "implies...recognition of those who issue the documents, of course" and that it would make it more difficult to hold a ceasefire.<ref>[http://www.rferl.org/a/osce-says-russian-move-undermines-ukraine-peace-efforts/28318525.html Interview: OSCE Says Russian Move Undermines Ukraine Peace Efforts], [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] (19 February 2017)</ref>
Russian foreign minister [[Sergey Lavrov]], after meeting with his Ukrainian, German and French counterparts in Munich on 18 February, said that a ceasefire between Ukraine and the separatists had been agreed effective from 20 February 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 February 2017 |title=Russia's Lavrov says Feb. 20 ceasefire in Ukraine has been agreed |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-lavrov/russias-lavrov-says-feb-20-ceasefire-in-ukraine-has-been-agreed-idUSKBN15X0LO |work=Reuters}}</ref> But according to a Ukrainian Armed Forces spokesman on 20 February 2017 separatists attacks continued, although he did state there was a "significant reduction in military activity."<ref name="11cfD20217">{{Cite news |last=Burridge |first=Tom |date=20 February 2017 |title=East Ukraine ceasefire due to take effect |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39023753 |access-date=29 December 2017}}<br />{{Cite news |date=20 February 2017 |title=ATO HQ: Truce disrupted, no conditions for withdrawal of arms |agency=[[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] |url=https://www.unian.info/war/1785936-ato-hq-truce-disrupted-no-conditions-for-withdrawal-of-arms.html |access-date=29 December 2017}}<br />{{Cite news |date=20 February 2017 |script-title=uk:У зоні АТО знизилася бойова активність – штаб |language=uk |trans-title=In the ATU zone, combat activity has decreased – headquarters |work=[[Ukrayinska Pravda]] |url=http://pda.pravda.com.ua/news/id_7135908/ |access-date=29 December 2017}}</ref> On 21 February OSCE's Secretary General Zannier stated there were still a significant number of violations of the cease-fire and "no evidence of the withdrawal of weapons".<ref name="rfe22217Znc">[http://www.rferl.org/a/monitor-osce-says-ukraine-cease-fire-heavy-weapons-withdrawal-not-honored/28324012.html Monitor Says Ukraine Cease-Fire, Weapons Withdrawal Not Being Honored], [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] (22 February 2017)</ref>
According to both parties to the conflict, the fourth truce attempt of 2017 collapsed within a few hours on 24 June 2017.<ref name="cf24J17id">[https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-says-two-soldiers-killed-despite-cease-fire/28577118.html Ukraine Says Two Soldiers Killed Despite Cease-Fire], [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] (24 June 2017)</ref> A "back to school ceasefire" to begin on 25 August 2017 also immediately collapsed when, on that very day, both combatants claimed that the other side had violated it.<ref name="btsc17">[https://medium.com/dfrlab/ukraines-back-to-school-ceasefire-b43906954ed6 Ukraine's Back to School "Ceasefire"], [[Atlantic Council]]'s Digital Forensic Research Lab (29 August 2017)<br />[http://tass.com/world/965974 Ukrainian military violate back-to-school ceasefire, one civilian injured – command], [[TASS news agency]] (16 September 2017)</ref> A further "Christmas ceasefire" that was to be upheld starting 00:00 ([[Eastern European Time]]) on 23 December 2017 was immediately broken by DPR and LPR forces according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (reporting nine violations including the death of a Ukrainian soldier killed by an enemy sniper and claiming the Ukrainians had not fired back<ref>{{Citation |title=Ukraine's Defense Ministry updates on number of attacks on Ukrainian troops on Dec 23 |date=24 December 2017 |url=https://www.unian.info/war/2315889-ukraines-defense-ministry-updates-on-number-of-attacks-on-ukrainian-troops-on-dec-23.html |access-date=24 December 2017 |agency=[[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]]}}<br />{{Citation |title=Ukrainian soldier killed by enemy sniper in Donbas on first day of 'Christmas truce' |date=24 December 2017 |url=https://www.unian.info/war/2315729-ukrainian-soldier-killed-by-enemy-sniper-in-donbas-on-first-day-of-christmas-truce.html |access-date=24 December 2017 |agency=[[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]]}}</ref>).<ref name="UNIAN2315389">{{Citation |title=Russian occupation troops violate 'Christmas ceasefire' – ATO HQ |date=23 December 2017 |url=https://www.unian.info/war/2315389-russian-occupation-troops-violate-christmas-ceasefire-ato-hq.html |access-date=24 December 2017 |agency=[[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]]}}</ref><ref name="TASS982709" /> In turn, the DPR stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had broken the truce, while the LPR ''Luganskinformcenter'' news agency said the same, but also that, the "ceasefire is generally observed."<ref name="TASS982709">{{Cite news |date=23 December 2017 |title=Donetsk republic reports violations of truce by Ukrainian army hours after its declaration |work=[[TASS news agency]] |url=http://tass.com/world/982699 |access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=23 December 2017 |title=Ukrainian units abiding by ceasefire at Lugansk section of frontline |work=[[TASS news agency]] |url=http://tass.com/world/982709 |access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref> On 27 December 2017, as part of the Minsk deal, a prisoner swap was conducted with 73 Ukrainian soldiers exchanged for over 200 separatists.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Andrew |date=27 December 2017 |title=Ukraine Fighting Pauses, Briefly, for Big Prisoner Exchange |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/27/world/europe/ukraine-prisoner-exchange.html |access-date=9 August 2019}}</ref>
On 18 January 2018, the Ukrainian parliament passed a bill to regain control over separatist-held areas. The bill was adopted with support from 280 lawmakers in the 450-seat Verkhovna Rada<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine Passes Bill To Restore Control Over Separatist-Held Areas |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian-parliament-passes-donbas-reintegration-bill/28982677.html |access-date=19 January 2018 |website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty}}</ref> (due to the war in Donbas and the [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|2014 Russian annexation]] of [[Crimea]], only 423 of the parliament's 450 seats were elected in the [[2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election|previous election]]<ref name="27sIU2510">[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/230595.html Parliamentary elections not to be held at nine constituencies in Donetsk region and six constituencies in Luhansk region – CEC], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (25 October 2014)</ref><ref name="BBCtsP25814">[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28931054 Ukraine crisis: President calls snap vote amid fighting], [[BBC News]] (25 August 2014)</ref><ref name="Runners and risks">{{Cite news |date=22 May 2014 |title=Ukraine elections: Runners and risks |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27518989 |url-status=dead |access-date=29 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527092109/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27518989 |archive-date=27 May 2014}}</ref>). The Russian government denounced the bill, calling it "preparations for a new war",<ref>{{Cite news |title=Russia hysterical about Ukraine's Donbas law, says Kyiv "preparing for new war" |language=en |url=https://www.unian.info/politics/2353903-mfa-russia-hysterical-about-ukraines-new-donbas-de-occupation-law-says-kyiv-preparing-for-new-war.html |access-date=19 January 2018}}</ref> and accused the Ukrainian government of violating the [[Minsk II|Minsk agreement]]. The law on the reintegration of Donbas labeled the republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as "[[Temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine|temporarily-occupied territories]]", while Russia was labeled as an "aggressor". The legislation granted President [[Petro Poroshenko|Poroshenko]] "the right to use military force inside the country, without consent from the Ukrainian parliament", which would include the reclaiming of Donbas. The bill supports a ban on trade and a transport blockade of the east that has been in place since 2017. Under the legislation, the only separatist-issued documents that Ukraine would recognize are birth and death certificates.
A new ceasefire agreed by all parties to the conflict went into force on 5 March 2018.<ref name="cfDonbasMarch18" /> By 9 March, the Ukrainian military claimed it was not being observed by the DPR and LPR forces, who in turn claimed the same of the Ukrainian military.<ref name="cfDonbasMarch18">{{Cite web |date=9 March 2018 |title="Ceasefire" in Donbas: 1 KIA, 1WIA amid two attacks on March 9 |url=https://www.unian.info/m/war/10036760-ceasefire-in-donbas-1-kia-1wia-amid-two-attacks-on-march-9.html |agency=[[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]]}}<br />{{Cite news |date=7 March 2018 |title=Ukrainian military observes ceasefire for 24 hours for first time in 2018 |publisher=[[TASS news agency]] |url=http://tass.com/world/993119}}</ref> On 26 March 2018, the [[Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine]] agreed on a "comprehensive, sustainable and unlimited ceasefire" that was to start on 30 March 2018.<ref name="cfDonbasMarch30">[https://www.unian.info/war/10062323-easter-ceasefire-in-donbas-fails-on-its-first-day-with-attacks-on-ukrainian-positions.html "Easter ceasefire" in Donbas fails on its first day with attacks on Ukrainian positions], [[UNIAN]] (30 March 2018)<br />{{in lang|ru}} [https://ria.ru/world/20180331/1517677417.html In the DNR, Kyiv was accused of disrupting the "Easter" truce], [[RIA Novosti]] (31 March 2018)<br /><br />{{in lang|ru}} [https://ria.ru/world/20180330/1517642447.html In LNR they have accused siloviki of infringement of "easter" truce], [[RIA Novosti]] (30 March 2018)</ref> It collapsed on its first day.<ref name="cfDonbasMarch30"/> Ukraine officially ended the "Anti-Terrorist Operation" ([[Timeline of the war in Donbas (April–June 2014)#ATO|ATO]]), and replaced it with "Joint Forces Operation" (JFO) on 30 April 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 March 2018 |title=Poroshenko: ATO over, Joint Forces Operation starting |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |url=https://www.unian.info/war/10045583-poroshenko-ato-over-joint-forces-operation-starting.html |access-date=3 May 2018}}</ref><ref name="censor1">{{Cite web |date=5 April 2018 |title=Poroshenko pledges anti-terrorist operation in Ukraine's east to end in May |url=https://en.censor.net.ua/news/3059787/poroshenko_pledges_antiterrorist_operation_in_ukraines_east_to_end_in_may |access-date=3 May 2018 |publisher=Censor.NET}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=30 April 2018 |title=Poroshenko states completion of ATO, launch of joint forces operation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions |agency=Interfax-Ukraine |url=https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/502349.html |access-date=3 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 April 2018 |title=Anti-Terrorist Operation in Donbas to end in May – Poroshenko {{!}} The operation will gain a military format under the leadership of General Serhiy Nayev |url=https://www.unian.info/politics/10070066-anti-terrorist-operation-in-donbas-to-end-in-may-poroshenko.html |access-date=3 May 2018 |publisher=[[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency|UNIAN]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 April 2018 |title=President signed a Decree: The Joint Forces Operation on deflection and deterrence of Russia's armed aggression in the Donbas began on April 30, 2018 |url=http://www.mil.gov.ua/en/news/2018/04/30/president-signed-a-decree-the-joint-forces-operation-on-deflection-and-deterrence-of-russias-armed-aggression-in-the-donbas-began-on-april-30-2018/ |access-date=3 May 2018 |publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (Ukraine)|MoD]]}}</ref><ref>[https://www.unian.info/m/war/10099772-joint-forces-operation-kicks-off-in-donbas.html Joint Forces Operation kicks off in Donbas], [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (30 April 2018)</ref> According to Lieutenant-General [[Serhiy Nayev]], the commander of the Joint Forces Operation, the renaming was intended to signify that Ukraine was not fighting against indigenous "terrorists" or "separatist militants" in Donbas, but against the Russian military.<ref name=eujfa2/> On the same day, the United States confirmed that it had delivered [[FGM-148 Javelin|Javelin]] anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Christopher |date=30 April 2018 |title=U.S. Confirms Delivery of Javelin Antitank Missiles To Ukraine |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/javelin-missile-delivery-ukraine-us-confirmed/29200588.html |access-date=3 May 2018}}</ref> According to the ''Washington Post'', the missiles will be kept away from the front line, and would be used only in the case of an all-out separatist assault.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/war-in-eastern-ukraine-now-seems-a-distant-storm-to-kiev/2018/06/26/5390e326-73ff-11e8-805c-4b67019fcfe4_story.html?noredirect=on&noredirect=on War in eastern Ukraine now seems a distant storm to Kiev], [[The Washington Post]] (26 June 2018)</ref>
On 28 June 2018, a new "harvest" "comprehensive and indefinite ceasefire regime" was agreed set to start on 1 July 2018.<ref name="IUDc28618">{{Cite news |date=27 June 2018 |title=TCG, ORDLO confirm their commitment to comprehensive, timeless ceasefire regime beginning from July 1 |agency=[[Interfax-Ukraine]] |url=https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/514792.html}}<br />{{Cite news |date=28 June 2018 |title=Donbas conflicting parties promise to observe truce from July 1 – Sajdik |agency=[[Interfax-Ukraine]] |url=https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/514874.html}}</ref> Within hours after its start both pro-Russian and Ukrainian sides accused each other of violating this truce.<ref name="10170890-new-truce">[https://www.unian.info/m/war/10170890-new-truce-in-donbas-fails-as-russian-controlled-troops-mount-two-attacks-on-ukrainian-army.html New truce in Donbas fails as Russian-controlled troops mount two attacks on Ukrainian army], [[UNIAN]] (1 July 2018)<br />{{in lang|ru}} [http://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/5338536 ДНР has accused the Ukrainian siloviki of violating the "grain ceasefire"], [[TASS]] (1 July 2018)<br />{{in lang|ru}} [http://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/5338710 In ЛНР have declared, that the Kyiv siloviki have thrown to a contact line tanks and mortars], [[TASS]] (1 July 2018)<br />[https://www.unian.info/m/war/10171364-jfo-ukraine-reports-25-enemy-attacks-in-last-day.html JFO: Ukraine reports 25 enemy attacks in last day], [[UNIAN]] (2 July 2018)</ref> The 29 August 2018 ceasefire also failed.<ref name="www.unian.info/war/10278909">[https://www.unian.info/war/10278909-osce-s-apakan-political-will-needed-for-long-term-sustainable-solution-to-conflict-in-eastern-ukraine.html OSCE's Apakan: Political will needed for long-term sustainable solution to conflict in eastern Ukraine], [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (28 September 2018)</ref><ref name="tass.com/world/1027270"/> On 31 August 2018, [[Donetsk People's Republic|DPR]] leader [[Alexander Zakharchenko]] was killed in an explosion at a restaurant.<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 August 2018 |title=Pro-Russian rebel leader killed in eastern Ukraine blast |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/pro-russian-rebel-leader-killed-in-eastern-ukraine-blast/2018/08/31/12a18336-ad37-11e8-b1da-ff7faa680710_story.html}}</ref>
As reported on 27 December 2018, Yuriy Biriukov, an advisor to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, claimed that almost the entire "grey zone" between the warring sides had been liberated from Russian-led forces without breaching the Minsk peace agreements, and came under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Almost entire 'gray' zone in Donbas liberated by Ukraine without Minsk deal breach – adviser |url=https://www.unian.info/war/10391709-almost-entire-gray-zone-in-donbas-liberated-by-ukraine-without-minsk-deal-breach-adviser.html}}, [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (27 December 2018)</ref> This was confirmed the following day by [[Chief of the General Staff (Ukraine)|Chief of the General Staff]] of the [[Armed Forces of Ukraine]] [[Viktor Muzhenko]].<ref>[https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/556172.html Ukraine tightens control over several towns in Donbas in accordance to Minsk agreements – Muzhenko], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (28 December 2018)</ref> On the same day, a new (and the 22nd<ref name="tass1038447">[http://tass.com/world/1038447 New Year ceasefire enters into force in Donbass], [[TASS]] (29 December 2018)</ref> attempt at an) indefinite truce starting midnight 29 December was agreed.<ref>[https://www.unian.info/m/war/10392612-parties-to-conflict-in-donbas-agree-on-new-year-truce-from-dec-29-ukrainian-envoy.html Parties to conflict in Donbas agree on New Year truce from Dec 29 – Ukrainian envoy], [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (27 December 2018)</ref> Both the Ukrainians and the separatists accused each other of violating the ceasefire on the day it came into effect.<ref name="Ukrinform2610493">[https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-defense/2610493-invaders-use-grenade-launchers-in-first-hours-of-new-year-truce-in-donbas.html Invaders use grenade launchers in first hours of New Year truce in Donbas], [[Ukrinform]] (29 December 2018)</ref><ref name="ria.ru/20181229">{{in lang|ru}} [https://ria.ru/20181229/1548914320.html In the LPR, Kyiv was accused of violating the "New Year" truce], [[RIA Novosti]] (29 December 2018)</ref>
On 7 March 2019, the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine agreed on a new truce to start on 8 March 2019.<ref name="trucedonbas10472646">[https://www.unian.info/m/war/10472646-new-truce-in-donbas-announced-from-march-8.html New truce in Donbas announced from March 8], [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (7 March 2019)</ref> Although Ukraine claimed that "Russian proxies" (the separatists) had violated it on the same day, fighting did die down, with the Ukrainian side stating that the ceasefire was fully observed from 10 March 2019.<ref name="trucedonbas11M19">[https://www.unian.info/war/10474482-donbas-sees-full-ceasefire-in-past-day.html Donbas sees full ceasefire in past day], [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (11 March 2019)</ref>
===October 2019 Steinmeier formula agreement and July 2020 ceasefire===
[[File:Zelensky, Merkel, Macron, Putin, (2019-12-10) 01.jpg|thumb|Zelensky, Merkel, Macron and Putin in Paris, France, December 2019]]
Following extensive negotiations, Ukraine, Russia, the DPR, LPR, and the OSCE signed an agreement to try to end the conflict in Donbas on 1 October 2019. Called the "Steinmeier formula", after its proposer the German President [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]], the agreement envisages the holding of free elections in DPR and LPR territories, observed and verified by the OSCE, and the subsequent reintegration of those territories into Ukraine with special status. Russia demanded the agreement's signing before any continuation of the "[[Normandy format]]" peace talks.<ref name="bbc11oct1">{{Cite news |date=11 October 2019 |title=Will a deal with Russia bring peace to Ukraine? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49986007 |access-date=11 October 2019}}</ref> A survey of public opinion in DPR and LPR-controlled Donbas conducted by the Centre for East European and International Studies in March 2019 found that 55% of those polled favoured reintegration with Ukraine. 24% of those in favour of reintegration supported a return to the pre-war administrative system for Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, while 33% percent supported special status for the region.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sasse |first=Gwendolyn |title=Most people in separatist-held areas of Donbas prefer reintegration with Ukraine – new survey |url=http://theconversation.com/most-people-in-separatist-held-areas-of-donbas-prefer-reintegration-with-ukraine-new-survey-124849 |access-date=3 November 2019 |website=The Conversation |language=en}}</ref>
In line with the Steinmeier formula, Ukrainian and separatist troops began withdrawing from the town of [[Zolote]] on 29 October. Attempts to withdraw earlier in the month had been prevented by protests from Ukrainian war veterans.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 October 2019 |title=Troops pull out from key Ukrainian front-line town |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50221995 |access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref> A further withdrawal was successfully completed in [[Petrovske]] during November. Following the withdrawals, and a successful Russian–Ukrainian prisoner swap, Russian president Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian president [[Volodymyr Zelensky]], French president [[Emmanuel Macron]] and German chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] met in Paris on 9 December 2019 in a resumption of the Normandy format talks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 December 2019 |title=Putin and Zelensky in landmark Paris peace talks |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50713647 |access-date=9 December 2019}}</ref> The two sides agreed to exchange all remaining prisoners of war by the end of 2019, work toward new elections in Donbas, and schedule further talks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 December 2019 |title=Russia and Ukraine leaders, in first talks, agree to exchange prisoners |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-summit-communique/russia-and-ukraine-leaders-in-first-talks-agree-to-exchange-prisoners-idUSKBN1YD2GA |access-date=9 December 2019}}</ref>
The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] deteriorated the [[Humanitarian situation during the war in Donbas#Living conditions in the conflict zone|living conditions in the conflict zone]].<ref name="da2">{{cite news |date=20 April 2020 |title=COVID-19 turns the clock back on the war in Ukraine, as needs grow |language=en |work=The New Humanitarian |url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/feature/2020/04/20/coronavirus-ukraine-war |access-date=3 June 2020}}</ref> Particularly, quarantine measures imposed by Ukraine, the DPR, and the LPR prevents those in the occupied territories from crossing the line of contact, negating access to critical resources.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 April 2020 |title=Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine is a ticking coronavirus time bomb |language=en-US |work=Atlantic Council |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/russian-occupied-eastern-ukraine-is-a-ticking-coronavirus-time-bomb/ |access-date=3 June 2020}}</ref><ref name="da2" /> Fighting increased in March 2020, with nineteen civilians killed, more than in the previous five months combined.<ref name="da2" /> While some crossings opened to small numbers of people in June 2020, the DPR introduced new regulations, ostensibly to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which made it nigh impossible for most people to cross the line of contact. In contrast, the Russian border completely reopened.<ref name="dafafae2">{{Cite report |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/coronavirus-donbas-crossing-points/ |title=In Ukraine's Donbas, coronavirus is pushing people on both sides ever further apart |date=30 June 2020 |publisher=openDemocracy |language=en}}</ref>
The 29th attempt<ref name="7265424Donbass">{{in lang|uk}} [https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2020/09/7/7265424/ The longest truce in Donbas. Does it really exist], [[Ukrayinska Pravda]] (7 September 2020)</ref> at a "full and comprehensive" ceasefire came into effect on 27 July 2020.<ref name="11123774Ukrainian">[https://www.unian.info/war/donbas-two-ukrainian-soldiers-injured-in-booby-trap-blast-11123774.html Two Ukrainian soldiers injured in booby-trap blast in Donbas], [[Ukrainian Independent Information Agency]] (25 August 2020)</ref> During his 24 August 2020 [[Independence Day of Ukraine|Ukrainian Independence Day]] speech, President Zelensky announced the ceasefire had held, leading to 29 days without combat losses.<ref name="3086612presidentukraine">[https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-society/3086612-president-ukraine-suffers-no-combat-casualties-for-29-days-in-a-row.html President: Ukraine suffers no combat casualties for 29 days in a row], [[Ukrinform]] (24 August 2020)</ref> Zelensky also admitted, however, that despite the prisoner exchange and de-mining operations that had taken place, the peace process did not move as fast as he had expected when he signed the 9 December 2019 summit.<ref name="zelenskyy-high-chance">[https://www.euronews.com/2020/08/25/volodymyr-zelenskyy-high-chance-of-ending-war-in-ukraine-this-year Volodymyr Zelenskyy: 'high chance' of ending war in Ukraine 'this year'.], [[Euronews]] (25 August 2020)</ref> On 6 September 2020, the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported its first combat loss since the 27 July 2020 truce, when a soldier was killed by shelling.<ref name="7265466pravdacom">{{in lang|uk}} [https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2020/09/6/7265466/ The militants violated the truce for the second time – a soldier was killed], [[Ukrayinska Pravda]] (6 September 2020)</ref> Despite this, President Zelensky stated on 7 November 2020 that since the July 2020 ceasefire was established, deaths of Ukrainian soldiers in combat had decreased tenfold, and the number of attacks on soldiers decreased by five-and-a-half-fold.<ref name="3131969ukrinform"/> From 27 July 2020 until 7 November 2020, only three Ukrainian soldiers were killed.<ref name="3131969ukrinform">[https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-defense/3131969-number-of-ukrainian-soldiers-killed-in-donbas-decrease-tenfold-over-103-days-of-ceasefire.html Number of Ukrainian soldiers killed in Donbas decreases tenfold over 103 days of ceasefire], [[Ukrinform]] (7 November 2020)</ref>
===2021–2022 escalation and Russo-Ukrainian crisis===
{{see|2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis}}
According to Ukrainian authorities, in the first three months of 2021, 25 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the conflict zone, compared to a total of 50 that had died in all of 2020.<ref name="56678665Ukraineconflict">[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56678665 Ukraine conflict: Moscow could 'defend' Russia-backed rebels], [[BBC News]] (9 April 2021)</ref> According to the Ombudsman of the DPR, 85 soldiers and 30 civilians were killed in January–October 2021 as a consequence of military action.<ref>{{cite web |title=Обзор социально-гуманитарной ситуации, сложившейся на территории Донецкой Народной Республики вследствие военных действий в период с 30 октября по 05 ноября 2021 г. |url=https://ombudsman-dnr.ru/obzor-soczialno-gumanitarnoj-situaczii-slozhivshejsya-na-territorii-doneczkoj-narodnoj-respubliki-vsledstvie-voennyh-dejstvij-v-period-s-30-oktyabrya-po-05-noyabrya-2021-g/ |website=Office of the Ombudsman of DPR / Уполномоченный по правам человека ДНР |access-date=6 November 2021 |language=ru}}</ref>
In late March–early April 2021, the Russian military moved large quantities of arms and equipment from western and central Russia, and as far away as Siberia, into occupied Crimea and the [[Voronezh Oblast|Voronezh]] and [[Rostov Oblast|Rostov]] oblasts of Russia.<ref>{{cite news|title=EU and UK pledge backing to Ukraine after Russian military buildup|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/05/eu-sounds-alarm-at-russian-troops-ukraine-border-moves|access-date=2021-04-10|work=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> A [[Jane's Information Group|Janes]] intelligence specialist identified fourteen Russian military units from the [[Central Military District]] that had moved into the vicinity of the Russo-Ukrainian border, and called it the largest unannounced military movement since the 2014 invasion of Crimea.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Ground Troop Units and Iskander ballistic missiles identified at Ukrainian border by Janes|url=https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/russian-ground-troop-units-and-iskander-ballistic-missiles-identified-at-ukrainian-border-by-janes|access-date=2021-04-10|website=Janes.com|language=en}}</ref> Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces [[Ruslan Khomchak]] said that Russia has stationed twenty-eight battalion tactical groups along the border, and that it was expected that twenty-five more were to be brought in,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Khomchak: Twenty-eight Russian battalion tactical groups stationed on border with Ukraine|url=https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-defense/3217976-khomchak-twentyeight-russian-battalion-tactical-groups-stationed-on-border-with-ukraine.html|access-date=2021-04-10|website=ukrinform.net|language=en}}</ref> including in [[Bryansk Oblast|Bryansk]] and Voronezh oblasts in Russia's [[Western Military District]]. The following day, Russian state news agency TASS reported that fifty of its BTGs consisting of 15,000 soldiers were massed for drills in the [[Southern Military District]], which includes occupied Crimea and also borders the Donbas conflict zone.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Over 50 battalion tactical groups to fight enemy drones in southern Russia drills|url=https://tass.com/defense/1273413|access-date=2021-04-10|agency=TASS}}</ref> By April 9, the head of the [[State Border Guard Service of Ukraine|Ukrainian border guard]] estimated that 85,000 Russian soldiers were already in Crimea or within {{convert|40|km}} of the Ukrainian border.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Morris|first=Loveday|date=2021-04-09|title=On Ukraine's doorstep, Russia boosts military and sends message of regional clout to Biden|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-ukraine-military-biden-donbas/2021/04/09/99859490-96d3-11eb-8f0a-3384cf4fb399_story.html|access-date=2021-04-11}}</ref>
A Russian government spokesman said that Russian military movements pose no threat,<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-04-01|title=Kremlin says military movements near Ukraine are defensive, pose no threat|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-russia-kremlin-idUSKBN2BO51M|access-date=2021-04-12}}</ref> but Russian official [[Dmitry Kozak]] warned that Russian forces could act to "defend" Russian citizens in Ukraine, and any escalation of the Donbas conflict would mean "the beginning of the end of Ukraine" – "not a shot in the leg, but in the face".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mackinnon|first=Amy|title=Is Russia Preparing to Go to War in Ukraine?|language=en-US|work=Foreign Policy|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/09/russia-troops-border-donbass-war-putin-zelensky-ukraine/|access-date=2021-04-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-04-09|title=Ukraine conflict: Moscow could 'defend' Russia-backed rebels|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56678665|access-date=2021-04-12}}</ref> By this time, some half a million people in the self-proclaimed [[Donetsk People's Republic]] and [[Luhansk People's Republic]] had been issued [[Russian passport]]s since fighting broke out in 2014.<ref name="56746144Ukraineconflict">[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56746144 Why Russia may not be planning the invasion that Ukraine fears], [[BBC News]] (15 April 2021)</ref> Russia refused to participate when Ukraine requested a [[Vienna Document]] meeting with [[France]], [[Germany]], and the [[OSCE]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Western countries knock Russia for not attending talks on Ukraine|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/western-countries-knock-russia-for-not-attending-talks-on-ukraine/ar-BB1fw1YX|access-date=2021-04-10|publisher=MSN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Amt|first=Auswärtiges|title=Statement by Germany and France on the occasion of a meeting of OSCE participating States on unusual military activities on the Ukrainian-Russian border|url=https://wien-osze.diplo.de/osze-en/aktuelles/german-french-statement-ukraine-russia/2453272|access-date=2021-04-11|website=wien-osze.diplo.de|language=en}}</ref> German chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] telephoned Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] to demand a reversal of the buildup.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-04-08|title=Merkel demanded Putin reduce Russian troops around Ukraine: German statement|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-merkel-putin-idUSKBN2BV1VJ|access-date=2021-04-10}}</ref> United States White House press secretary [[Jen Psaki]] announced in early April 2021 that a buildup of Russian troops on Ukrainian border was the largest since 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-04-09 |title=Ukraine conflict: Moscow could 'defend' Russia-backed rebels |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56678665 |access-date=2021-04-10}}</ref>
In April 2021, Ukraine performed the first operational rollout of [[Turkey|Turkish]]-made [[Bayraktar TB2]] military drones in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Charpentreau|first=Clement|date=2021-04-14|title=Ukraine flies its first Turkish-made armed drone over Donbas|url=https://www.aerotime.aero/27677-ukraine-flies-its-first-turkish-made-armed-drone-over-donbas|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-21|website=Aerotime|language=en}}</ref> In November, a Bayraktar drone on the Ukrainian-government-controlled side of the line of contact was used to destroy a separatist artillery piece on the other side, which was conducting a strike that levelled homes and wounded and killed Ukrainian soldiers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ukraine's Recent Drone Strike Reignites Tensions in Donbass |url=https://nationalinterest.org/feature/ukraine’s-recent-drone-strike-reignites-tensions-donbass-195709 |website=The National Interest |access-date=2 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Isabelle Khurshudyan and David L. Stern|date=2022-01-15|title=Why Ukraine's Turkish-made drone became a flash point in tensions with Russia|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/01/15/ukraine-russia-drones-turkey/|access-date=2022-01-29|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In November, DNR leader Denis Pushilin said Ukrainian troops regained control of the village of Staromarivka in the grey zone.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-10-27|title=Ukrainian forces seize village of Staromaryevka — Donetsk Republic|language=en|work=TASS|access-date=2021-11-01|url=https://tass.com/world/1354741}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=November 2021|reason=TASS is not consistently reliable per [[WP:RSP]]}} The use of Ukrainian and Russian drones was criticised by France and Germany, while the United States pointed out that the Russia-led side has repeatedly violated agreements by the use of drones and howitzer artillery.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ukraine's Zelenskiy Defends Drone Strike On Russia-Backed Separatists |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-drone-strike-separatists-zelenskiy/31536185.html |website=RFERL |access-date=2 November 2021}}</ref> Russian agencies reported unease from the development, warning that further usage of the Bayraktar TB2 in the Donbas could "destabilize the situation" in the region.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-10-27|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kremlin-says-turkish-drones-risk-destabilising-situation-east-ukraine-2021-10-27/|title=Kremlin says Turkish drones risk destabilising situation in east Ukraine|language=en|work=Reuters|access-date=2021-11-01}}</ref>
In December 2021, Ukrainian authorities said that Russia was sending snipers and tanks to the region.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Reuters|date=2021-12-07|title=Russia sending snipers and tanks to try to provoke Ukraine in Donbass, Kyiv says|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-sending-snipers-tanks-try-provoke-ukraine-donbass-kyiv-says-2021-12-07/|access-date=2021-12-09}}</ref> On 21 January 2022, the [[Chairman of the State Duma|Chairman of the Russian State Duma]], [[Vyacheslav Volodin]], called for a discussion in the parliamentary body to recognize the independence of the Donbas region and its separation from Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Jerusalem Post|date=2022-01-21|title=Russian Duma chair calls to recognize Donbas independence from Ukraine|language=en|work=Jerusalem Post|url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-694173}}</ref> By February 2022, fighting had escalated. For example, the Ukrainian military reported enduring 60 attacks along the line of contact on 17 February alone, including "one shell that struck a kindergarten near the front line, injuring three staff. There were two to five attacks per day over the first six weeks of this year".<ref>{{cite newspaper|journal=[[The Globe and Mail]]|page=A3|author=Mark MacKinnon and Adrian Morrow|title=Putin orders snap nuclear drill}}</ref>
[[2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis|Amid increased tensions between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022]], Russian president Vladimir Putin announced on 21 February that Russia would recognise the [[International recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic|independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics]].<ref name="sds235s">{{Cite news |date=2022-02-22 |title=Ukraine crisis: Russia orders troops into rebel-held regions |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60468237 |access-date=2022-02-22}}</ref> This announcement was followed by an order to deploy Russian troops to the Donbas as "peacekeepers".<ref name="sds235s" /> A number of western countries, including the US, UK, and the EU, announced that they would impose new sanctions on Russian-connected organisations in response.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-02-22 |title=Ukraine crisis: UK to sanction Russia over breakaway regions decision |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-60472639 |access-date=2022-02-22}}</ref>
== Combatants ==
===List of combatants===
{{main|Combatants of the war in Donbas}}
Diverse forces of both foreign and domestic origin have participated in the war in Donbas.
=== Russian involvement ===
{{Main|Russo-Ukrainian War}}
[[File:2016-05-09. День Победы в Донецке 040.jpg|thumb|Rebel-held Donetsk in 2016. The [[Flag of Russia|Russian flag]] can be seen in the background.]]
Russian involvement in the Donbas war has taken a variety of forms since the beginning of the conflict in 2014.
The initial protests across southern and eastern Ukraine were largely native expressions of discontent with the new Ukrainian government.<ref name="de" /> Russian involvement at this stage was limited to its voicing of support for the demonstrations, and the emergence of the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk began as a small fringe group of the protesters, independent of Russian control.<ref name="de" /><ref name="wil234">{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Andrew |date=20 April 2016 |title=The Donbas in 2014: Explaining Civil Conflict Perhaps, but not Civil War |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |language=en |volume=68 |issue=4 |pages=631–652 |doi=10.1080/09668136.2016.1176994 |issn=0966-8136 |s2cid=148334453}}</ref> Russia would go on to take advantage of this, however, to launch a co-ordinated political and military campaign against Ukraine, as part of the broader [[Russo-Ukrainian War]].<ref name="de" /><ref name="karb2">{{Cite report |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316122469 |title="Lessons Learned" from the Russo-Ukrainian War |last=Karber |first=Phillip A. |date=29 September 2015 |publisher=The Potomac Foundation}}</ref> Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] gave legitimacy to the nascent separatist movement when he described the Donbas as part of the historic "[[New Russia]]" (''Novorossiya'') region, and issued a statement of bewilderment as how the region had ever become part of Ukraine in 1922 with the foundation of the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Freedman |first=Lawrence |date=2 November 2014 |title=Ukraine and the Art of Limited War |journal=Survival |language=en |volume=56 |issue=6 |page=13 |doi=10.1080/00396338.2014.985432 |issn=0039-6338 |s2cid=154981360}}</ref> When the Ukrainian authorities cracked down on the pro-Russian protests and arrested local separatist leaders in early March, these were replaced by people with ties to the Russian security services and interests in Russian businesses, probably by order of Russian intelligence.<ref name="de99">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |page=38 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref> By April 2014, Russians citizens had taken control of the separatist movement, and were supported by volunteers and materiel from Russia, including Chechen and Cossack militants.<ref name="de2">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=43–44 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref><ref name="jamestown-20140815" /><ref name="REUeuada" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Matsuzato |first=Kimitaka |date=22 March 2017 |title=The Donbass War: Outbreak and Deadlock |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&issn=10746846&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA492538899&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=abs |journal=Demokratizatsiya |language=en |location=Princeton |publisher=Princeton University Press |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=175–202 |isbn=978-1-4008-8731-6}}</ref> According to DPR insurgent commander [[Igor Girkin]], without this support in April, the movement would have fizzled out, as in it did in [[Kharkiv]] and [[Odessa]].<ref name="wil2399">{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Andrew |date=20 April 2016 |title=The Donbas in 2014: Explaining Civil Conflict Perhaps, but not Civil War |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |language=en |volume=68 |issue=4 |pages=647–648 |doi=10.1080/09668136.2016.1176994 |issn=0966-8136 |s2cid=148334453}}</ref> As conflict between the separatists and the Ukrainian government escalated in May 2014, Russia began to employ a "[[Hybrid warfare|hybrid]] approach", deploying a combination of disinformation tactics, irregular fighters, regular Russian troops, and conventional military support to support the separatists and destabilise the Donbas region.<ref name="de3" /><ref name="Fedorov" /><ref name=karber2/> The [[First Battle of Donetsk Airport]] in late May 2014 marked a turning point in conflict; it was the first battle between the separatists and the Ukrainian government that involved large amounts of Russian volunteers.<ref name="de98">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |page=43 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref><ref name="LoshkariovSushentsov2016">{{Cite journal |last1=Loshkariov |first1=Ivan D. |last2=Sushentsov |first2=Andrey A. |date=2 January 2016 |title=Radicalization of Russians in Ukraine: from 'accidental' diaspora to rebel movement |journal=Southeast European and Black Sea Studies |publisher=Informa UK Limited |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=71–90 |doi=10.1080/14683857.2016.1149349 |issn=1468-3857 |s2cid=147321629}}</ref>{{rp|15}} According to the Ukrainian government, at the height of the conflict in the summer of 2014, Russian paramilitaries were reported to make up between 15% to 80% of the combatants.<ref name="REUeuada" />
By August 2014, the Ukrainian "Anti-Terrorist Operation" was able to vastly shrink the territory under the control of the pro-Russian forces, and came close to regaining control of the Russo-Ukrainian border.<ref name="de4" /> Igor Girkin urged Russian military intervention, and said that the combat inexperience of his irregular forces, along with recruitment difficulties amongst the local population in Donetsk Oblast had caused the setbacks. He addressed Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]], saying that: "Losing this war on the territory that President Vladimir Putin personally named New Russia would threaten the Kremlin's power and, personally, the power of the president".<ref name="The Daily Beast" /> In response to the deteriorating situation in the Donbas, Russia abandoned its hybrid approach, and began a conventional invasion of the region.<ref name=de4/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Snyder |first=Timothy |title=The road to unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America |isbn=978-0-525-57446-0 |edition=First |location=New York, NY |page=191 |oclc=1029484935}}</ref> The first sign of this invasion was the 25 August 2014 capture of a group of Russian paratroopers on active service in Ukrainian territory by the [[Security Service of Ukraine|Ukrainian security service]] (SBU).<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 August 2014 |title=На Донеччині затримано десять громадян Росії, які незаконно перетнули кордон України зі зброєю у складі диверсійної групи |trans-title=Group of Russian citizens held in Donetsk region crossed the border with weapons as part of sabotage group |url=http://www.sbu.gov.ua/sbu/control/uk/publish/article?art_id=130629&cat_id=39574 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828070826/http://www.sbu.gov.ua/sbu/control/uk/publish/article?art_id=130629&cat_id=39574 |archive-date=28 August 2014 |access-date=25 August 2014 |publisher=Security Service of Ukraine}}</ref> The SBU released photographs of them, and their names.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 August 2014 |title=Оприлюднено фото затриманих російських військових |trans-title=Released photos of Russian soldiers |url=http://www.unian.ua/politics/955169-oprilyudneno-foto-zatrimanih-rosiyskih-viyskovih.html#ad-image-1 |access-date=25 August 2014 |publisher=Unian.ua}}</ref> On the following day, the Russian Defence Ministry said these soldiers had crossed the border "by accident".<ref name="BBC26AUGY2">{{Cite news |date=26 August 2014 |title=Captured Russian troops 'in Ukraine by accident' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28934213 |access-date=13 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=26 August 2014 |title=Москва: задержанные на Украине военные пересекли границу случайно |trans-title=Moscow: soldiers arrested in Ukraine crossed the border by accident |url=http://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2014/08/26/n_6425813.shtml |access-date=26 August 2014 |publisher=Gazeta.ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Freedman |first=Lawrence |date=2 November 2014 |title=Ukraine and the Art of Limited War |journal=Survival |language=en |volume=56 |issue=6 |page=35 |doi=10.1080/00396338.2014.985432 |issn=0039-6338 |s2cid=154981360}}</ref> According to Nikolai Mitrokhin's estimates, by mid-August 2014 during the [[Battle of Ilovaisk]], there were between 20,000 and 25,000 troops fighting in the Donbas on the separatist side, and only between 40% and 45% were "locals".<ref name="wil2">{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Andrew |date=20 April 2016 |title=The Donbas in 2014: Explaining Civil Conflict Perhaps, but not Civil War |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |language=en |volume=68 |issue=4 |page=649 |doi=10.1080/09668136.2016.1176994 |issn=0966-8136 |s2cid=148334453}}</ref>
Beginning on 27 August 2014, vast amounts of military equipment and troops crossed the border from Russia into southern Donetsk Oblast, an area previously controlled by the Ukrainian government. Western officials described this new offensive as a "stealth invasion" by the Russian Federation. [[US State Department]] spokesman [[Jen Psaki]] said that "these incursions indicate a Russian-directed counteroffensive is likely underway", and Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]] said "An invasion of Russian forces has taken place".<ref name="NYT2782014" /><ref name="REUuars" /><ref name="Pgov31102" /> NATO commander Brig. Gen. Nico Tak said on 28 August 2014 that "well over" 1,000 Russian soldiers were operating in the Donbas conflict zone.<ref name="NY28Aug2014" /> During the week prior to the invasion, Russia shelled Ukrainian units from across the border.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Russia escalates tensions with aid convoy, reported firing of artillery inside Ukraine |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russian-humanitarian-convoy-enters-ukraine-despite-warnings/2014/08/22/7b14fa8e-29e1-11e4-8593-da634b334390_story.html |access-date=25 September 2014 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> [[Russian cross-border artillery shelling of Ukraine (2014)|Instances of cross-border shelling from Russia]] had been reported for six weeks from mid-July, during which the Russians launched 53 strikes at 40 different locations, severely impacting the Ukrainian military operation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Babiak |first=Mat |date=17 July 2014 |title=Provallia in flames, details on Russian rocket strike |publisher=Ukrainian Policy |url=http://ukrainianpolicy.com/provallia-in-flames-details-on-russian-rocket-strike/ |access-date=28 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402182336/http://ukrainianpolicy.com/provallia-in-flames-details-on-russian-rocket-strike/ |archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pressimus – Press – Published by Interpreter_Mag |url=https://pressimus.com/Interpreter_Mag/press/3365 |access-date=25 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=karber2/> At the time, Russian government spokesmen denied all reports of Russian intervention in the Donbas.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Julian E. |last2=Mauldin |first2=William |date=24 July 2014 |title=U.S. Says Russian Artillery Firing Across Border into Ukraine |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-says-russia-firing-across-border-into-ukraine-1406231618 |access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref> These denials have been viewed as implausible, to the point where it seemed that the Russian government no longer cared about the appearance of propriety.<ref name="Freedman">{{Cite journal |last=Freedman |first=Lawrence |date=2 November 2014 |title=Ukraine and the Art of Limited War |journal=Survival |language=en |volume=56 |issue=6 |page=23 |doi=10.1080/00396338.2014.985432 |issn=0039-6338 |s2cid=154981360}}</ref> There was limited support for separatism in Donbas before the outbreak of the war, and little evidence of support for an armed uprising.<ref name="wil9">{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Andrew |date=20 April 2016 |title=The Donbas in 2014: Explaining Civil Conflict Perhaps, but not Civil War |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |language=en |volume=68 |issue=4 |page=641 |doi=10.1080/09668136.2016.1176994 |issn=0966-8136 |s2cid=148334453}}</ref> Only Russian intervention prevented an immediate Ukrainian resolution to the conflict.<ref name="Freedman" /><ref name="wil3">{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Andrew |date=20 April 2016 |title=The Donbas in 2014: Explaining Civil Conflict Perhaps, but not Civil War |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |language=en |volume=68 |issue=4 |pages=634, 649 |doi=10.1080/09668136.2016.1176994 |issn=0966-8136 |s2cid=148334453}}</ref><ref name="myk22">{{Cite journal |last=Mykhnenko |first=Vlad |date=15 March 2020 |title=Causes and Consequences of the War in Eastern Ukraine: An Economic Geography Perspective |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |volume=72 |issue=3 |pages=528–560 |doi=10.1080/09668136.2019.1684447 |issn=0966-8136 |doi-access=free}}</ref> As a result, in the run up to the August 2014 invasion, Russia had also decided to replace many of the hardline leaders of the separatist movement, including Igor Girkin and DPR prime minister [[Alexander Borodai]]. These replacements, taken together with the subsequent invasion, represented another turning point in the nature of the conflict. Given the recent military failings of the DPR and the LPR, Russia decided that it could no longer rely on a patchwork of irregular fighters in the Donbas, and ordered a change in leadership.<ref name="de9" /> It abandoned the hardline Russian citizen-led separatist project, which it had been unable to fully control, and replaced it with the idea of special status for Donbas within Ukraine, and a more obedient local-based DPR/LPR command.<ref name="de22" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Matsuzato |first=Kimitaka |date=22 March 2017 |title=The Donbass War: Outbreak and Deadlock |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&issn=10746846&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA492538899&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=abs |journal=Demokratizatsiya |language=en |location=Princeton |publisher=Princeton University Press |volume=25 |issue=2 |page=176 |isbn=978-1-4008-8731-6}}</ref><ref name="Bandeira2019">{{Citation |last=Moniz Bandeira |first=Luiz Alberto |title=Ukrainian Separatists and the War in Donbass |year=2019 |work=The World Disorder: US Hegemony, Proxy Wars, Terrorism and Humanitarian Catastrophes |pages=235–247 |editor-last=Moniz Bandeira |editor-first=Luiz Alberto |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-03204-3_20 |isbn=978-3-030-03204-3}}</ref> This represented Russia's attempts at "indigenisation" of the conflict, using the militarily insignificant local pro-Russian political activists as political cover for the advancement of Russian interests in Ukraine.<ref name=wil2/>
Russian forces and equipment went on to participate in the [[Second Battle of Donetsk Airport]] and the [[Battle of Debaltseve]].<ref name="bbc1dec">{{Cite news |date=1 December 2014 |title=New battle rages at Donetsk airport |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30275259 |access-date=9 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="NYT13FEBY">{{Cite news |last1=Kramer |first1=Andrew E. |last2=Gordon |first2=Michael R. |date=13 February 2015 |title=U.S. Faults Russia as Combat Spikes in East Ukraine |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/14/world/europe/ukraine-fighting-escalates-ahead-of-truce.html |access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref> A report released by the [[Royal United Services Institute]] in March 2015 said that "the presence of large numbers of Russian troops on Ukrainian sovereign territory" had become a "permanent feature" of the war in Donbas since the August 2014 invasion.<ref name="GD11MA2015">{{Cite news |date=11 March 2015 |title=Russian military shelled Ukraine from mid-July, report says |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/11/russia-struggling-ukraine-military-operations-report |access-date=11 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="RUSIma2015">{{Cite web |last=Igor Sutyagin |date=March 2015 |title=Briefing Paper: Russian Forces in Ukraine |url=https://www.rusi.org/downloads/assets/201503_BP_Russian_Forces_in_Ukraine_FINAL.pdf |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6Y4ei6Ide?url=https://www.rusi.org/downloads/assets/201503_BP_Russian_Forces_in_Ukraine_FINAL.pdf |archive-date=26 April 2015 |access-date=11 March 2015 |publisher=Royal United Services Institute}}</ref> Following the Ukrainian defeat at Debaltseve, the parties to the conflict signed the [[Minsk II]] agreement to end the fighting on 15 February 2015.<ref name="de456">{{Cite report |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1498/RAND_RR1498.pdf |title=Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine |last1=Kofman |first1=Michael |last2=Migacheva |first2=Katya |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica |pages=45–46 |last3=Nichiporuk |first3=Brian |last4=Radin |first4=Andrew |last5=Tkacheva |first5=Olesya |last6=Oberholtzer |first6=Jenny |year=2017}}</ref> These terms were highly favourable to Russia, in that they required Ukraine to grant "special status" to the separatist-held areas, and reintegrate them into Ukraine, similar to the federalisation espoused by pro-Russian protesters in early 2014.<ref name="de456" /> This would establish a Russian "strategic hook" within Ukraine that could be used to prevent future integration of that country with the [[European Union]] or [[NATO]].<ref name="de456" /> In a press conference on 17 December 2015, Russian president Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time that there had been a Russian military presence in the Donbas region, though he said that this did not mean that there were "Russian troops" there.<ref name="REU17DEC">{{Cite news |date=17 December 2015 |title=Russia's Putin lashes Turkey, says Russian forces were in Ukraine |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-putin-idUKKBN0U01KP20151217 |access-date=18 December 2015}}</ref> On 24 April 2019, President Putin issued an executive order fast-tracking the process for obtaining Russian citizenship for residents of the territories held by the DPR and the LPR. This is similar to what Russia has done in other pro-Russian protectorates established following post-Soviet conflicts, including in [[Transnistria]], [[Abkhazia]], and [[South Ossetia]].<ref name=myk22/> Russia recognised the DPR and LPR as independent states on 21 February 2022, and subsequently ordered Russian troops into the Donbas conflict zone as "peacekeepers".<ref name="sds235s" />
=== Military aid to Ukraine ===
In December 2017, the United States provided the Ukraine with lethal aid for the first time, in the form of [[FGM-148 Javelin|Javelin antitank missiles]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ukraine's Post-Independence Struggles|url=https://www.cfr.org/timeline/ukraines-post-independence-struggles|access-date=2021-12-13|website=Council on Foreign Relations|language=en}}</ref> Initially, these were to be kept away from the front, but after a second delivery of similar weapon systems they were cleared for use anywhere.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-12-26|title=Ukraine to buy more U.S. Javelin anti-tank missile systems|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-us-javelin-idUSKBN1YU10O|access-date=2021-12-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Trevithick|first=Joseph|title=Ukraine Cleared To Move Javelin Missiles To Front Lines To Blow Up Russian Tanks "Defensively"|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/34638/ukraine-cleared-to-move-javelin-missiles-to-front-lines-to-blow-up-russian-tanks-defensively|access-date=2021-12-13|website=The Drive|language=en}}</ref> In September 2021, Kyiv commanded military forces drill in a common exercise with US and NATO partners.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Reuters|date=2021-09-20|title=Ukraine holds military drills with U.S. forces, NATO allies|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraine-holds-military-drills-with-us-forces-nato-allies-2021-09-20/|access-date=2021-12-13}}</ref> The use of Javelins on the front line was reported in November 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Trevithick|first=Joseph|title=Ukrainian Troops Have Been Firing American-Made Javelin Missiles At Russian-Backed Forces|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43239/ukrainian-troops-have-been-firing-american-made-javelins-at-russian-backed-forces|access-date=2021-12-13|website=The Drive|language=en}}</ref>
== Casualties ==
{{Main|Casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian War}}
The number of confirmed fatalities (deaths) caused by the war was 13,100–13,300 as of the end of January 2021.<ref name="OHCHR" /> By the end of September 2021, the UN confirmed 3,393 civilians had been killed in the conflict. 312 of the civilian deaths were foreigners: 298 passengers and crew of [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 17]],<ref name="civilians" /> 11 Russian journalists,<ref name="gruz2000">{{Cite news |title=Проект "Груз-200 из Украины в Россию". |url=http://gruz200.zzz.com.ua/ |access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref> an Italian journalist,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Italian becomes first journalist killed in east Ukraine |language=en |work=South China Morning Post |url=http://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1519455/italian-journalist-and-russian-colleague-reported-killed-ukraine |access-date=4 February 2017}}</ref> one Russian civilian killed in [[Shelling of Donetsk, Russia|cross-border shelling]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 July 2014 |title=Russia warns Ukraine of 'irreversible consequences' after cross-border shelling |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-warns-ukraine-of-irreversible-consequences-after-cross-border-shelling/2014/07/13/d2be1bb0-0a85-11e4-8341-b8072b1e7348_story.html |access-date=14 July 2014 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> and a Lithuanian diplomat.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ukraine crisis: Lithuania envoy killed in Luhansk |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28901386 |access-date=14 October 2014}}</ref>
=== Ukrainian forces ===
Ukrainian government forces have lost a confirmed total of 4,629 killed servicemen by the start of December 2021, including 211 foreign-born Ukrainian citizens and 13 foreigners.<ref name="memory">{{Cite web |script-title=uk:Книга пам'яті загиблих |trans-title=Memorial Book to the Fallen |url=http://memorybook.org.ua/index.htm |access-date=31 January 2015 |website=Herman Shapovalenko, Yevhen Vorokh, Yuriy Hirchenko |language=uk}}</ref><ref name="memory1">The Museum of Military History also lists separately 139 currently unidentified soldiers who were killed: 66 at Krasnopolye cemetery,[http://memorybook.org.ua/units/krasnopol.htm] 63 at Kushugum cemetery [http://memorybook.org.ua/units/kushugum.htm] and 10 at Starobilsk cemetery.[http://memorybook.org.ua/units/starobilsk.htm]</ref>{{refn|group=note|The number of Ukrainian soldiers killed includes the deaths of two servicemen during the [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation]].}} Another 70 Ukrainian soldiers were missing.<ref name="70missing" />
Pro-Russian sources claimed Ukrainian forces had: 10,000 killed, 20,000 wounded and 13,500 deserted or missing, by late June 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roundup Novorossia September 1, 2014 (video) |url=http://www.pravda-tv.ru/2014/09/02/82429 |access-date=14 October 2014}}</ref>
=== Separatist forces ===
{{see also|Alley of Angels in Donetsk}}
The separatists reported that they had lost 1,400 men at most as of the beginning of February 2015.<ref name="representative">{{Cite web |date=2 February 2015 |title=7,000 people killed during Donbas conflict – DPR representative |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/774959 |access-date=6 March 2015 |agency=TASS}}</ref> The United Nations reported 5,700 separatists were killed by the end of January 2021.<ref name="OHCHR" />
Ukraine claimed 7,577<ref>{{Cite web |title=At least 1,638 soldiers killed in Russia's war against Ukraine |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/at-least-1638-soldiers-killed-in-russias-war-against-ukraine-382732.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112115/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/at-least-1638-soldiers-killed-in-russias-war-against-ukraine-382732.html |archive-date=2 April 2015 |access-date=5 March 2015 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref>–14,600<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 March 2015 |title=From the beginning of ATO in Donbas more than 14,6 thousands of fighters were killed |url=http://donoda.gov.ua/?lang=ua&sec=02.03.09&iface=Public&cmd=view&args=id:25100;tags%24_exclude:46 |access-date=16 March 2015 |agency=Interfax}}</ref> separatists had been killed and 12,000 missing<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 January 2015 |script-title=uk:Скільки бойовиків і військових РФ загинули в Донбасі за час АТО |trans-title=How many fighters and RF military have been killed during the Donbas ATO |url=http://news.liga.net/ua/articles/politics/4860533-sk_lki_boyovik_v_v_yskovikh_rf_zaginuli_v_donbas_za_chas_ato.htm |website=LIGA news |language=uk}}</ref> during the fighting as of early 2015. They also claimed an additional 103 Russian servicemen were killed between January and April 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 April 2016 |title=Over 100 Russian servicemen killed in Donbas warzone since start of 2016 |publisher=uatoday.tv |url=http://uatoday.tv/politics/over-100-russian-servicemen-killed-in-donbas-warzone-since-start-of-2016-627063.html |access-date=16 October 2016}}</ref>
An image of a reported separatist graveyard in Donetsk in late February 2015,<ref name="cemetery">{{Cite web |date=20 February 2015 |title=Giant cemetery of unidentified Russian mercenaries found by Russian blogger in Donetsk |url=http://en.censor.net.ua/photo_news/325478/giant_cemetery_of_unidentified_russian_mercenaries_found_by_russian_blogger_in_donetsk_photo |website=Censor.net}}</ref> showed number plates running up to at least 2,213.<ref name="graves">{{Cite news |last=Maria Antonova |date=20 May 2015 |title=Russian activists say find fresh graves of soldiers killed in Ukraine |publisher=Yahoo News |agency=Agence France-Presse |url=https://news.yahoo.com/russian-activists-fresh-graves-soldiers-killed-ukraine-114424034.html |access-date=8 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521024231/http://news.yahoo.com/russian-activists-fresh-graves-soldiers-killed-ukraine-114424034.html |archive-date=21 May 2015}}</ref> In late August 2015, according to a reported ''leak'' by a Russian news site, Business Life (Delovaya Zhizn), 2,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in Ukraine by 1 February 2015.<ref name="2kup">{{Cite news |last=Goble |first=Paul A. |title=Over 2,000 Russian troops killed during Ukraine invasion |agency=Ukrainian Policy |url=http://ukrainianpolicy.com/over-2000-russian-troops-killed-during-ukraine-invasion/ |access-date=25 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150826002407/http://ukrainianpolicy.com/over-2000-russian-troops-killed-during-ukraine-invasion/ |archive-date=26 August 2015 |quote="As of February 1, 2015, Moscow had already paid monetary compensation "for more than 2,000 families of soldiers who had been killed and for 3,200 soldiers who were seriously wounded and recognized as invalids.""}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Segalov |first=Michael |date=26 August 2015 |title=The number of Russian troops killed or injured fighting in Ukraine seems to have been accidentally published |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-number-of-russian-troops-killed-or-injured-fighting-in-ukraine-seems-to-have-been-accidentally-10472603.html |access-date=26 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923170558/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-number-of-russian-troops-killed-or-injured-fighting-in-ukraine-seems-to-have-been-accidentally-10472603.html |archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref> The US Department of State reported that by early March 2015, 400–500 Russian soldiers had died.<ref name="nuland">{{Cite web |date=10 March 2015 |title=Nuland: At least 400–500 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine |url=http://www.unian.info/world/1053938-nuland-at-least-400-500-russian-soldiers-killed-in-ukraine.html |access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref>
By mid-February 2022, DPR separatist authorities reported that a total of 5,042 separatists and civilians had been killed in DPR-controlled territory,<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 February 2022 |title=The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities in the period from 12 and 18 February 2022 |url=https://eng.ombudsman-dnr.ru/the-overview-of-the-current-social-and-humanitarian-situation-in-the-territory-of-the-donetsk-peoples-republic-as-a-result-of-hostilities-in-the-period-from-12-and-18-february-2022/}}</ref> while the LPR reported 1,328 people had died in the LPR by January 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 January 2018 |title=Almost 6,000 civilians killed in Donbass conflict |publisher=dninews.com |url=https://dninews.com/article/almost-6000-civilians-killed-donbass-conflict |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127052415/https://dninews.com/article/almost-6000-civilians-killed-donbass-conflict |archive-date=27 January 2018}}</ref>
== Humanitarian concerns ==
{{Main|Humanitarian situation during the war in Donbas}}
[[File:Lysychansk 16.jpg|thumb|Damaged building in [[Lysychansk]], 4 August 2014]]
The [[United Nations]] observed an "alarming deterioration" in human rights in territory held by insurgents affiliated with the [[Donetsk People's Republic]] and [[Luhansk People's Republic]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 May 2014 |title=Ukraine crisis: UN sounds alarm on human rights in east |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27438422 |access-date=17 May 2014}}</ref> The UN reported growing lawlessness in the region, documenting cases of targeted killings, torture, and abduction, primarily carried out by the forces of the Donetsk People's Republic.<ref name="un" /> The UN also reported threats against, attacks on, and abductions of journalists and international observers, as well as the beatings and attacks on supporters of Ukrainian unity.<ref name="un">{{Cite book |url=http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/HRMMUReport15May2014.pdf |title=Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine |date=15 May 2014 |publisher=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights}}</ref> [[Russia]] criticised these reports, and said that they were "politically motivated".<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 May 2014 |title=Russia lambasts U.N. report on rights in Ukraine |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-un-idUSBREA4F05Y20140516 |access-date=13 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140518010929/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/16/us-ukraine-crisis-un-idUSBREA4F05Y20140516 |archive-date=18 May 2014}}</ref> A report by [[Human Rights Watch]] said "Anti-Kyiv forces in eastern Ukraine are abducting, attacking, and harassing people they suspect of supporting the Ukrainian government or consider undesirable...anti-Kyiv insurgents are using beatings and kidnappings to send the message that anyone who doesn't support them had better shut up or leave".<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 May 2014 |title=Ukraine: Anti-Kiev Forces Running Amok |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/23/ukraine-anti-kiev-forces-running-amok |access-date=24 July 2014 |publisher=Human Rights Watch}}</ref> There were also multiple instances of beatings, abductions, and possible executions of local residents by Ukrainian troops,<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 September 2014 |title=Ukrainian Nationalist Volunteers Committing 'ISIS-Style' War Crimes |work=[[Newsweek]] |url=http://www.newsweek.com/evidence-war-crimes-committed-ukrainian-nationalist-volunteers-grows-269604}}</ref> such as [[Oleh Lyashko]]'s militia and the [[Aidar Battalion|Aidar]] [[Territorial defence battalion (Ukraine)|territorial defence battalion]].<ref name="AMsdsd">{{Cite press release |title=Impunity reigns for abductions and ill-treatment by pro-Kyiv vigilantes in eastern Ukraine |date=6 August 2014 |publisher=Amnesty International |url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/news-item/impunity-reigns-for-abductions-and-ill-treatment-by-pro-kyiv-vigilantes-in-eastern-ukraine |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> Amnesty International noted that pro-Kyiv volunteer battalions are increasingly [[Blockade|blocking]] humanitarian aid into eastern Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 January 2015 |title=More than one million flee, Ukraine close to 'humanitarian catastrophe' |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-aid-idUSKBN0KH1VZ20150108 |access-date=13 January 2015}}</ref> In August, Igor Druz, a senior advisor to pro-Russian insurgent commander [[Igor Girkin]], said that "On several occasions, in a state of emergency, we have carried out executions by shooting to prevent chaos. As a result, our troops, the ones who have pulled out of Sloviansk, are highly disciplined".<ref name="BBCexec">{{Cite news |date=2 August 2014 |title=Rebel adviser 'admits executions' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28619599 |access-date=2 August 2014}}</ref> By the end of 2015, there had been 79 places in the combined DPR and LPR territory where abducted civilians and prisoners of war were held.<ref>{{Cite web |title=На неконтролируемой Украиной территории Донбасса есть 79 неофициальных мест незаконного содержания людей |url=http://interfax.com.ua/news/general/307388.html |access-date=29 November 2015 |publisher=Interfax Ukraine}}</ref>
A report by the United Nations [[Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights]] (OHCHR) released on 28 July 2014 said that based on "conservative estimates", at least 1,129 civilians had been killed since mid-April during the fighting, and at least 3,442 had been wounded.<ref name="IFadaf">{{Cite news |date=28 July 2014 |title=1,129 civilians killed, 3,442 injured in Ukraine during anti-terrorist operation – UN report |work=Interfax-Ukraine News Agency |url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215684.html |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="OHCHRrep">{{Cite press release |title=Intense fighting in eastern Ukraine 'extremely alarming', says Pillay, as UN releases new report |date=28 July 2014 |publisher=Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights |url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true&LangID=E |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref> In addition, the report found that at least 750 million US dollars worth of damage has been done to property and infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.<ref name="OHCHRrep" /> Human Rights Watch said that Ukrainian government forces, pro-government paramilitaries, and the insurgents had used unguided [[Grad rocket|Grad]] rockets in 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".<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Ukraine: Unguided Rockets Killing Civilians |date=24 July 2014 |publisher=Human Rights Watch |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/07/24/ukraine-unguided-rockets-killing-civilians |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref><ref>"[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/07/25/human-rights-watch-ukrainian-forces-are-rocketing-civilians/ Human Rights Watch: Ukrainian forces are rocketing civilians]". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. 25 July 2014.</ref> ''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.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Tavernise |first1=Sabrina |last2=Sneider |first2=Noah |date=28 July 2014 |title=Enmity and Civilian Toll Rise in Ukraine While Attention Is Diverted |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/29/world/europe/civilian-death-toll-rise-in-ukraine.html |access-date=29 July 2014}}</ref> By early January 2015, the number of deaths caused by the war had risen to 4,707, despite the signing of the [[Minsk Protocol]] in early September 2014.<ref name="UN14JAN">{{Cite press release |title=UN strongly deplores civilian deaths as Ukraine fighting continues |date=14 January 2015 |publisher=United Nations News Centre |url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=49794 |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Remains of an Eastern Orthodox church after shelling near Donetsk International Airport.jpg|thumb|left|Ruins of the [[Iversky Monastery (Donetsk)|Iversky Monastery]] near Donetsk airport, May 2015]]
=== Displaced population ===
By early August 2014, at least 730,000 had fled fighting in the Donbas and left for Russia.<ref name="unhcr-refugees">{{Cite news |date=5 August 2014 |title=About 730,000 have left Ukraine for Russia due to conflict – UNHCR |work=Reuters |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-migrants-idINKBN0G517P20140805 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> This number, much larger than earlier estimates, was given by the [[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]] (UNHCR). The number of internal refugees rose to 117,000.<ref name="unhcr-refugees" /> By the start of September, after a sharp escalation over the course of August, the number of people displaced from Donbas within Ukraine more than doubled to 260,000.<ref name="OHCR2sept">{{Cite press release |title=Number of displaced inside Ukraine more than doubles since early August to 260,000 |date=2 September 2014 |publisher=United Nations High Commission for Refugees |url=http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/number-displaced-inside-ukraine-more-doubles-early-august-260000 |access-date=2 September 2014}}</ref> The number of temporary asylum seekers and refugee applicants from Ukraine in Russia rose to 121,000.<ref name="BBC29035">{{Cite news |date=2 September 2014 |title=UN says million people have fled |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29029060 |access-date=2 September 2014}}</ref> Despite two months of a shaky ceasefire established by the [[Minsk Protocol]], the number of refugees displaced from Donbas in Ukraine escalated sharply to 466,829 in mid November.<ref name="20NOV2014">{{Cite press release |title=Serious human rights violations persist in eastern Ukraine despite tenuous ceasefire |date=20 November 2014 |publisher=United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights |url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true&LangID=E |access-date=20 November 2014}}</ref>
By April 2015, the war had caused at least 1.3 million people to become [[Internally displaced person|internally displaced]] within Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Allison Quinn |date=25 June 2015 |title=UN refugee head confronts Ukraine's atypical challenge |work=[[Kyiv Post]] |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv-post-plus/un-refugee-head-confronts-ukraines-atypical-challenge-392051.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626044739/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv-post-plus/un-refugee-head-confronts-ukraines-atypical-challenge-392051.html |archive-date=26 June 2015}}</ref> In addition, more than 800,000 Ukrainians had sought asylum, residence permits, or other forms of legal stay in neighbouring countries, with over 659,143 in Russia, 81,100 in Belarus, and thousands more elsewhere.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 April 2015 |title=Ukraine crisis has created more than 2 million refugees, UN reports |agency=euronews.com |url=http://www.euronews.com/2015/04/22/ukraine-crisis-has-created-more-than-2-million-refugees-un-reports/ |access-date=28 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs|date=17 April 2015|title=Ukraine: Situation report No.36|url=https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ocha_ukraine_situation_report_36_-_17_april_2015.pdf|access-date=2021-06-22}}</ref>
According to another report by the UN OHCHR, over 3 million people continued to live in the Donbas conflict zone as of March 2016.<ref name="OHCHR232">{{Cite book |url=http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/Ukraine_13th_HRMMU_Report_3March2016.pdf |title=Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine 16 November 2015 to 15 February 2016 |date=3 March 2016 |publisher=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |access-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> This was said to include 2.7 million who lived in DPR and LPR-controlled areas, and 200,000 in Ukrainian-controlled areas adjacent to the line of contact. In addition, the Ukrainian government was said to have registered a total of 1.6 million internally displaced people within Ukraine who had fled the conflict. Over 1 million were reported to have sought asylum elsewhere, with most having gone to Russia.<ref name="OHCHR232" /> The report also said that people that lived in separatist-controlled areas were experiencing "complete absence of rule of law, reports of arbitrary detention, torture and incommunicado detention, and no access to real redress mechanisms".<ref name="OHCHR232" /><ref name="UNew24">{{Cite press release |title=Ukraine: growing despair among over three million civilians in conflict zone – UN report |date=3 March 2016 |publisher=United Nations |url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53359 |access-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>
By November 2017, the UN had identified 1.8 million internally displaced and conflict-affected persons in Ukraine, while another 427,240 who had sought asylum or refugee status in the Russian Federation, plus 11,230 in Italy, 10,495 in Germany, 8,380 in Spain, and 4,595 in Poland.<ref>UN High Commissioner for Refugees, "[https://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-unhcr-operational-update-01-30-november-2017 Ukraine: UNHCR Operational Update, 01–30 November 2017]", 15 December 2017.</ref>
As consequence of the conflict, large swathes of the Donbas region, on both sides of the "contact line", have become contaminated with landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW)<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-04-04|title=Ukraine's desperate attempt to defuse landmines – as more are planted|url=http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/apr/04/ukraine-attempt-defuse-landmines-as-more-are-planted|access-date=2022-02-02|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref>. According to the UN [[Humanitarian Coordinator]] in Ukraine, in 2020 Ukraine was of one of the most mine-affected countries in the world, with nearly 1,200 mine/ERW casualties since the beginning of the conflict in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|date=5 April 2021|title=Landmines Still Pose a Threat to Two Million Ukrainians|url=https://ukraine.un.org/en/123917-landmines-still-pose-threat-two-million-ukrainians|access-date=2 February 2022|website=United Nations Ukraine}}</ref> A report by [[UNICEF]] released in December 2019 said that 172 children had been injured or killed due to landmines and other explosives, over 750 educational facilities had been damaged or destroyed, and 430,000 children lived with psychological traumas associated with war.<ref>{{Cite web|title=430,000 children continue to bear the brunt of eastern Ukraine conflict|url=https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/430000-children-continue-bear-brunt-eastern-ukraine-conflict|access-date=2022-02-02|website=www.unicef.org|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Children endure deadly legacy of landmines in eastern Ukraine|url=https://www.unicef.org/ukraine/en/stories/children-endure-deadly-legacy-landmines-eastern-ukraine|access-date=2022-02-02|website=www.unicef.org|language=en}}</ref>
== Reactions ==
===International reactions===
{{Main|International reactions to the war in Donbas}}
[[File:Secretary Kerry Joins President Obama for Meeting With Ukrainian President Poroshenko Before NATO Summit in Wales (14950820747).jpg|thumb|Ukrainian President [[Petro Poroshenko|Poroshenko]] speaks with [[Barack Obama]] and other Western leaders during the [[2014 Wales summit|NATO Summit in Newport]], 4 September 2014]]
=== Ukrainian public opinion ===
[[File:2014-08-26. «Сичь» отправляется на войну 035.JPG|thumb|Residents of [[Kyiv]] with [[Svoboda (political party)|Svoboda]] founded [[Sich Battalion]] soldiers, 26 August 2014]]
A poll of the Ukrainian public, excluding Russian-annexed [[Crimea]], was taken by the [[International Republican Institute]] from 12 to 25 September 2014.<ref name="IRI14OCT">Press release: {{Cite press release |title=IRI: Ukraine Pre-election Poll Shows Strong Opposition to Russian Aggression, Support for Kyiv Government |date=14 October 2014 |publisher=International Republican Institute |url=http://www.iri.org/news-events-press-center/news/iri-ukraine-pre-election-poll-shows-strong-opposition-russian-aggressi |access-date=17 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016232411/http://www.iri.org/news-events-press-center/news/iri-ukraine-pre-election-poll-shows-strong-opposition-russian-aggressi |archive-date=16 October 2014}}<br />Full text: {{Cite web |date=14 October 2014 |title=Public Opinion Survey – Residents of Ukraine: 12–25 September 2014 |url=http://www.iri.org/sites/default/files/2014%20October%2014%20Survey%20of%20Residents%20of%20Ukraine%2C%20September%2012-25%2C%202014.pdf |access-date=17 October 2014 |publisher=International Republican Institute}}</ref> 89% of those polled opposed [[2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine|Russian intervention in Ukraine]]. As broken down by region, 78% of those polled from [[Eastern Ukraine]] (including [[Dnipropetrovsk Oblast]]) opposed said intervention, along with 89% in [[Southern Ukraine]], 93% in [[Central Ukraine]], and 99% in [[Western Ukraine]].<ref name="IRI14OCT" /> As broken down by native language, 79% of Russian speakers and 95% of Ukrainian speakers opposed the intervention. 80% of those polled said that Ukraine should remain a [[Unitary state|unitary]] country.<ref name="IRI14OCT" /> 56% of those polled said that Russia should pay for the reconstruction of the Donbas, whereas 32% said Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts should pay. 59% of those polled said that they supported the government military operation in Donbas, whereas 33% said that they opposed it. 73% of respondents said that the war in Donbas was one of the three most important issues facing Ukraine.<ref name="IRI14OCT" />
A poll conducted by the same institute in 2017 (excluding occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas) showed that an overwhelming majority of Ukrainians believe that the separatist republics should remain as part of Ukraine. The survey contained an over sample of respondents from the Ukrainian-controlled areas of the Donbas, a majority of whom also affirmed their wish for the entire region to stay in Ukraine. The survey results showed that 80% of Ukrainians nationally and 73% of people living in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts supported that the separatist-controlled areas should remain part of Ukraine. Around 60% of the people polled did not believe Ukraine is doing enough to regain the lost territories because of the Minsk agreements.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 June 2017 |title=Ukraine Poll: Majority Want Donbas to Remain in Ukraine |url=http://www.iri.org/resource/ukraine-poll-majority-want-donbas-remain-ukraine |access-date=29 December 2017 |website=iri.org}}</ref>
=== Labelling of the conflict ===
The understanding of the nature of the conflict in Donbas has evolved over time.
[[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO]] said in July 2014 that it considered the conflict a war with Russian [[Irregular troops|irregulars]],<ref name="defencedad">{{Cite press release |title=Russian Actions Bring Europe to Decisive Point |date=30 June 2014 |publisher=American Forces Press Service |url=http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=122576 |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713152755/http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=122576 |archive-date=13 July 2014}}</ref> and others considered it to be a war between Russian proxies and Ukraine.<ref name="FTintal">{{Cite news |date=17 July 2014 |title=Nato must focus on the 'hybrid wars' being waged on the west |work=Financial Times |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/3192c7a0-0cd2-11e4-bf1e-00144feabdc0.html |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref> The [[International Committee of the Red Cross]] described the events in the Donbas region as a "non-international armed conflict" in July 2014.<ref name="reuterswar">{{Cite news |last=Miles |first=Tom |date=22 July 2014 |title=Ukraine war crimes trials a step closer after Red Cross assessment |work=Reuters |location=Geneva |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-warcrimes-idUSKBN0FR0V920140722 |url-status=unfit |access-date=22 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123081443/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-warcrimes-idUSKBN0FR0V920140722 |archive-date=23 January 2016}}</ref><ref name="IClaw">{{Cite press release |title=Ukraine: ICRC calls on all sides to respect international humanitarian law |date=23 July 2014 |publisher=International Committee of the Red Cross |url=https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2014/07-23-ukraine-kiev-call-respect-ihl-repatriate-bodies-malaysian-airlines.htm |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref> Some news agencies, such as the [[Information Telegraph Agency of Russia]] and [[Reuters]], interpreted this statement as meaning that Ukraine was in a state of "[[civil war]]".<ref name="ITcw">{{Cite news |title=Red Cross admits Ukraine is in a state of civil war |agency=Information Telegraph Agency of Russia |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/742051 |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref> Following the August 2014 invasion by Russian forces, in early September 2014, [[Amnesty International]] said that it considered the war to be "international", as opposed to "non-international".<ref name="AI7SEPT" /> Secretary General of Amnesty International [[Salil Shetty]] said that "satellite images, coupled with reports of Russian troops captured inside Ukraine and eyewitness accounts of Russian troops and military vehicles rolling across the border leave no doubt that this is now an international armed conflict".<ref name="AI7SEPT">{{Cite press release |title=Mounting evidence of war crimes and Russian involvement |date=7 September 2014 |publisher=Amnesty International |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/press-releases/2014/09/ukraine-mounting-evidence-war-crimes-and-russian-involvement/ |access-date=7 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704120250/http://www.amnesty.org/en/press-releases/2014/09/ukraine-mounting-evidence-war-crimes-and-russian-involvement/ |archive-date=4 July 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The conflict has also been classified as part of a "[[Hybrid warfare|hybrid war]]" waged by Russia against Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 September 2014 |title=In Defense of Conspirology: A Rejoinder to Serhiy Kudelia's Anti-Political Analysis of the Hybrid War in Eastern Ukraine |url=http://www.ponarseurasia.org/article/defense-conspirology-rejoinder-serhiy-kudelias-anti-political-analysis-hybrid-war-eastern |publisher=PONARS Eurasia}}</ref>
Until early 2015, the [[European Union]] tended to label the participants of the conflict as "foreign armed formations" or Russia-supported separatists. After the delivery of an IntCen classified report by the end of January 2015, the official EU documents started labelling them openly as "Russian troops in Ukraine".<ref>{{Cite web |title=EU breaks taboo on 'Russian forces in Ukraine' |url=https://euobserver.com/foreign/127667 |access-date=19 February 2016 |website=EUobserver}}</ref>
A 2015 paper released by the [[Royal United Services Institute]] and a 2017 report by the [[RAND Corporation]] document how the conflict evolved from a localised proxy conflict in its early stages to a hybrid war between Russian and Ukraine, and then to a limited conventional war with the August 2014 direct invasion by Russian troops.<ref name="RUSIma2015" /><ref name="de" />
[[Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada]] [[Oleksandr Turchynov]] said in June 2014 that he considered the conflict a direct war with [[Russia]].<ref name="IBua">{{Cite news |date=27 June 2014 |title=Александр Турчинов: "При вторжении со стороны Чернигова, русские танки уже через пару часов могли быть в Киеве" (Alexander Turchinov: "With the invasion from the Chernihiv direction, Russian tanks in a couple of hours could be in Kyiv") |language=ru |publisher=LB.ua |url=http://lb.ua/news/2014/06/27/271204_aleksandr_turchinov_pri_vtorzhenii.html |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref> According to Ukrainian president [[Petro Poroshenko]], the war will be known in history of Ukraine as the "Patriotic War".<ref>[http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/08/24/7035656/ Poroshenko: this war will enter the history as Patriotic]. [[Ukrayinska Pravda]]. 24 August 2014</ref>
According to a [[VTSIOM]] survey taken in August 2014, 59% of the Russian citizens polled viewed the war in Donbas as a civil war. Most of those polled said that direct war with Ukraine was either "absolutely impossible" or "extremely unlikely". 28% said that such a conflict could happen in the future.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 2015 |title=The Ukraine Invasion and Public Opinion |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332798454}}</ref>
In December 2021 the French journal 'Le Monde' analyzed a shift in the Russian diplomatic label on the conflict. It was no longer about Ukraine membership in NATO, but about NATO expansion in Ukraine. [https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2021/12/06/les-options-limitees-de-washington-face-aux-man-uvres-de-la-russie-au-seuil-de-l-ukraine_6104848_3210.html Before Biden Putin summit of December 2021]
== See also ==
{{Portal|Current events|Russia|Ukraine|War}}
* [[Women in the War in Donbas]]
* [[December 2015 Ukraine power grid cyberattack]]
* [[2017 cyberattacks on Ukraine]]
* [[Little green men (Ukrainian crisis)]]
* [[List of rebel groups that control territory]]
* [[Enlargement of NATO#German reunification|NATO Enlargement, German reunification and relations with Russia]]
== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Bowen|first=Andrew|year=2017|title=Coercive Diplomacy and the Donbas: Explaining Russian Strategy in Eastern Ukraine|journal=Journal of Strategic Studies|volume=42|issue=3–4|pages=312–343|doi=10.1080/01402390.2017.1413550|s2cid=158522112}}
* [https://journals.macewan.ca/shcsjournal/article/view/278 Ivanov, O. (2016). Social Background of the Military Conflict in Ukraine: Regional cleavages and geopolitical orientations. Social, Health, And Communication Studies Journal, 2(1), 52–73. Retrieved 26 June 2017.]
* [http://www.osce.org/odihr/118476?download=true 12 May 2014 report on human rights and minority rights situation in Ukraine] by the [[OSCE]] Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
* [http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/Ukraine_Report_15July2014.pdf 15 July 2014 Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine] by the [[OHCHR]]
* [https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/08/28/ukraine-rebel-forces-detain-torture-civilians 28 August 2014 report on claims of war crimes by the insurgents] in Donbas by [[Human Rights Watch]]
* [http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/OHCHR_seventh_reportUkraine20.11.14.pdf 15 November 2014 Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine] by the [[OHCHR]]
* [http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/9thOHCHRreportUkraine.pdf#sthash.HFQs2pv2.dpuf 1 December 2014 to 15 February 2015 Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine] by the [[OHCHR]]
{{Russian intervention in Ukraine}}
{{War in Donbas}}
{{Post-Cold War European conflicts}}
{{Ongoing military conflicts}}
{{Politics of Ukraine footer}}
{{Ukraine topics}}
[[Category:War in Donbas| ]]
[[Category:2010s in Ukraine]]
[[Category:2020s in Ukraine]]
[[Category:2010s conflicts]]
[[Category:2020s conflicts]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2014]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2015]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2016]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2017]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2018]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2019]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2020]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2021]]
[[Category:Donbas]]
[[Category:History of Donetsk Oblast]]
[[Category:History of Luhansk Oblast]]
[[Category:Ongoing conflicts]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2022]]
[[Category:Wars involving Russia]]
[[Category:Wars involving Ukraine]]
[[Category:Separatist rebellion-based civil wars]]
[[Category:Russo-Ukrainian War|*]]
[[Category:Russian–Ukrainian wars]]' |
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209 => 'http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-armed-forces-repel-attack-by-gunmen-on-military-compound-in-artemivsk-344883.html',
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220 => 'http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-govt-forces-take-control-of-village-near-sloviansk-avakov-354724.html',
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227 => 'http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-advances-after-heavy-fighting-357839.html',
228 => 'http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukrainian-border-checkpoints-come-under-over-150-attacks-from-russia-since-june-5-358484.html',
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231 => 'http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/politicians-activists-slam-national-guard-protest-as-unpatriotic-367935.html',
232 => 'http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/poroshenko-calls-on-lawmakers-to-revoke-special-status-for-east-sends-more-troops-to-key-cities-370640.html',
233 => 'http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/poroshenko-despite-minsk-agreements-martial-law-is-still-an-option-376395.html',
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238 => 'http://www.kyivpost.com/multimedia/photo/burned-houses-military-vehicles-remain-after-fierce-fight-in-luhansk-oblast-that-killed-at-least-nine-people-on-may-22-349531.html',
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569 => 'https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ukraine-crisis-who-are-russian-neo-nazi-groups-fighting-separatists-1463489',
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571 => 'https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-crisis-residents-flee-savagery-of-the-battle-for-donetsks-airport-9981531.html',
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574 => 'https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/russian-ground-troop-units-and-iskander-ballistic-missiles-identified-at-ukrainian-border-by-janes',
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578 => 'https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/separatists-retreat-from-dzerzhynsk-357159.html',
579 => 'https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-national-guard-now-controlling-komsomolske-in-donetsk-region-362529.html',
580 => 'https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/abuse-torture-revealed-at-self-proclaimed-luhansk-peoples-republic-illegal-prison-376631.html',
581 => 'https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/avdiyivka-becomes-center-major-escalation-russias-war-least-10-killed.html',
582 => 'https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/kyiv-says-6000-russian-soldiers-40000-separatists-donbas.html',
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585 => 'https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/ukraine-counter-attack-troops-storm-3417939',
586 => 'https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/mariupol-police-station-fire-21-3518352',
587 => 'https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/western-countries-knock-russia-for-not-attending-talks-on-ukraine/ar-BB1fw1YX',
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593 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/23/world/europe/russia-moves-artillery-units-into-ukraine-nato-says.html',
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595 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/world/europe/video-of-combat-in-eastern-ukraine-adds-to-worries-in-kiev.html',
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597 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/06/world/europe/ukraine-cease-fire.html',
598 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/world/europe/at-least-331-have-been-killed-in-ukraine-since-start-of-cease-fire-un-reports.html',
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600 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/world/europe/ukrainian-military-and-separatists-observe-silent-day.html',
601 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/06/world/europe/francois-hollande-says-destabilizing-sanctions-on-russia-must-stop-now.html',
602 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/world/europe/10-civilians-are-killed-in-ukraine-as-cease-fire-grows-more-fragile.html',
603 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/world/europe/divisions-on-display-over-western-response-to-ukraine-at-security-conference.html',
604 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/14/world/europe/ukraine-fighting-escalates-ahead-of-truce.html',
605 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/11/world/europe/ukraine-frozen-zone-virtual-reality.html',
606 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/27/world/europe/ukraine-prisoner-exchange.html',
607 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/14/world/europe/ap-eu-ukraine-aid-crunch.html',
608 => 'https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/08/03/world/europe/03reuters-urkaine-crisis-east.html?ref=world&_r=0',
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610 => 'https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/coronavirus-donbas-crossing-points/',
611 => 'https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/long-live-donetsk-peoples-republic/',
612 => 'https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/11/27/kurt-volker-the-full-transcript-215868',
613 => 'https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2020/09/7/7265424/',
614 => 'https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2020/09/6/7265466/',
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617 => 'https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316122469',
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619 => 'https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332798454',
620 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-mariupol-idAFKBN0DN0XF20140507',
621 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-donetsk-idUSL6N0Q10BQ20140726',
622 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-east-idUSL6N0QA2B020140804',
623 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-aid-idUSKBN0KH1VZ20150108',
624 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-lavrov/russias-lavrov-says-feb-20-ceasefire-in-ukraine-has-been-agreed-idUSKBN15X0LO',
625 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-summit-communique/russia-and-ukraine-leaders-in-first-talks-agree-to-exchange-prisoners-idUSKBN1YD2GA',
626 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-merkel-putin-idUSKBN2BV1VJ',
627 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-russia-kremlin-idUSKBN2BO51M',
628 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-russia-soldiers/some-12000-russian-soldiers-in-ukraine-supporting-rebels-u-s-commander-idUSKBN0LZ2FV20150303',
629 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-rebels-insight-idUSKBN0FW07020140727',
630 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-aid-convoy-idUSKBN0GM0IS20140822',
631 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-donetsk-idUSBREA3D1A320140414',
632 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-separatists-tv-idUSBREA3Q0CZ20140427',
633 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-mariupol-idUSBREA3N1C620140424',
634 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-fighting-idUSKBN0E70OA20140527',
635 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-tanks-idUSKBN0EN1KS20140612',
636 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSKBN0FI09I20140713',
637 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSKBN0FL0K020140716',
638 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-action-idUSKBN0G50UW20140805',
639 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-column-idUSKBN0GP0MB20140825',
640 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-fighters-idUSKBN0GQ1X520140826',
641 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-boat-idUSKBN0GV0NA20140831',
642 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-casualties-idUSKBN0H40G920140909',
643 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-military-idUSKBN0IQ1RJ20141106',
644 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-military-idUSKCN0IW16T20141112',
645 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-military-idUSKBN0JX11B20141219',
646 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-prisoners-idUSKBN0K40IZ20141226',
647 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-casualties-idUSKBN0KX08B20150124',
648 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-un-idUSBREA4F05Y20140516',
649 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-us-javelin-idUSKBN1YU10O',
650 => 'https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraine-holds-military-drills-with-us-forces-nato-allies-2021-09-20/',
651 => 'https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kremlin-says-turkish-drones-risk-destabilising-situation-east-ukraine-2021-10-27/',
652 => 'https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-sending-snipers-tanks-try-provoke-ukraine-donbass-kyiv-says-2021-12-07/',
653 => 'https://www.rferl.org/a/javelin-missile-delivery-ukraine-us-confirmed/29200588.html',
654 => 'https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-drone-strike-separatists-zelenskiy/31536185.html',
655 => 'https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-creeping-offensive-escalation-fighting/28268104.html',
656 => 'https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-says-two-soldiers-killed-despite-cease-fire/28577118.html',
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659 => 'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10863933/Ukraines-rebels-in-crisis-after-Donetsk-coup.html',
660 => 'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10899655/US-accuses-Russia-of-sending-rocket-launchers-to-Ukraine-rebels.html',
661 => 'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10993931/Fierce-fighting-in-Ukraine-prevents-Dutch-forces-reaching-MH17-crash-site.html',
662 => 'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11067351/Ukraine-battles-Russian-tank-column-near-Luhansk-ahead-of-Minsk-peace-talks.html',
663 => 'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11361286/Russia-sends-9000-troops-into-Ukraine-says-Petro-Poroshenko.html',
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665 => 'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/vladimir-putin/12054164/Vladimir-Putins-annual-press-conference-2015-live.html',
666 => 'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11965191/Russian-OSCE-monitor-in-Ukraine-fired-after-drunkenly-saying-he-was-a-Moscow-spy.html',
667 => 'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10763008/Fears-of-full-scale-Russian-invasion-as-eastern-Ukraine-cities-toppled.html',
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677 => 'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/14/russian-military-vehicles-enter-ukraine-aid-convoy-stops-short-border',
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679 => 'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/17/ukraine-ceasefire-frontline-counting-cost-war-uneasy-calm',
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685 => 'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/09/ukraine-crisis-mariupol-police-station',
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687 => 'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/05/ukraine-heavy-shelling-hours-before-ceasefire-russia',
688 => 'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/07/ukraine-rebels-ceasefire-broken-shelling',
689 => 'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/10/ukraine-russia-troops-border-east-poroshenko',
690 => 'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/25/poland-anti-russian-night-wolves-zaldostanov-motorcyclists-red-army',
691 => 'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/18/ukrainian-soldiers-share-horrors-of-debaltseve-battle-after-stinging-defeat',
692 => 'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/15/russian-backed-separatists-seize-donetsk-airport-ukraine',
693 => 'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/11/russia-struggling-ukraine-military-operations-report',
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699 => 'https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-society/3086612-president-ukraine-suffers-no-combat-casualties-for-29-days-in-a-row.html',
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710 => 'https://www.unian.info/politics/2353903-mfa-russia-hysterical-about-ukraines-new-donbas-de-occupation-law-says-kyiv-preparing-for-new-war.html',
711 => 'https://www.unian.info/war/10045583-poroshenko-ato-over-joint-forces-operation-starting.html',
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727 => 'https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/ukrainian-tycoons-calls-for-rallies-against-separatists-go-largely-unheeded/2014/05/20/567deaae-e00e-11e3-9743-bb9b59cde7b9_story.html',
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731 => 'https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/pro-russian-rebel-leader-killed-in-eastern-ukraine-blast/2018/08/31/12a18336-ad37-11e8-b1da-ff7faa680710_story.html',
732 => 'https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-ukraine-military-biden-donbas/2021/04/09/99859490-96d3-11eb-8f0a-3384cf4fb399_story.html',
733 => 'https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russian-humanitarian-convoy-enters-ukraine-despite-warnings/2014/08/22/7b14fa8e-29e1-11e4-8593-da634b334390_story.html',
734 => 'https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-warns-ukraine-of-irreversible-consequences-after-cross-border-shelling/2014/07/13/d2be1bb0-0a85-11e4-8341-b8072b1e7348_story.html',
735 => 'https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ukraines-cease-fire-in-jeopardy-as-new-fighting-reported/2014/09/07/cad0ca80-3689-11e4-8601-97ba88884ffd_story.html',
736 => 'https://www.webcitation.org/6Y4ei6Ide?url=https://www.rusi.org/downloads/assets/201503_BP_Russian_Forces_in_Ukraine_FINAL.pdf',
737 => 'https://www.webcitation.org/6cFSGnsRg?url=http://cdn.onderzoeksraad.nl/documents/report-mh17-crash-en.pdf',
738 => 'https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304626304579509100018004342',
739 => 'https://www.wsj.com/articles/matthew-kaminski-contending-with-putins-hand-in-ukraines-badlands-1401233457',
740 => 'https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-says-russia-firing-across-border-into-ukraine-1406231618',
741 => 'https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-makes-significant-gains-against-pro-russia-rebels-1406030208',
742 => 'https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-government-troops-target-further-gains-in-east-1404644564',
743 => 'https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-transport-plane-shot-down-by-pro-russian-separatists-in-luhansk-1402736354',
744 => 'https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303749904579579601942418022',
745 => 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY0sMKuEXN0',
746 => 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOmWjP1HIGQ'
] |
