Donetsk People's Republic: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
This article is not about Pavel Gubarev!
no, but he and his political affiliations are of central important to the subject. Please stop blanking well sourced material.
Line 59: Line 59:
The '''Donetsk People's Republic''' ({{lang-ru|Донецкая народная республика}}, ''{{transl|ru|Donetskaya narodnaya respublika}}'') is a [[self-proclaimed]] state,<ref name="kpost14-04-11">{{cite news|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/pro-russian-separatists-dig-in-at-donetsk-government-342977.html|title=Donetsk separatists hold oblast government headquarters|location=Donetsk|first=Mark|last=Rachkevych|newspaper=[[Kyiv Post]]|date=10 April 2014|accessdate=11 April 2014|archivedate=10 April 2014|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410232055/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/pro-russian-separatists-dig-in-at-donetsk-government-342977.html|quote=[...] home to the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk.}}</ref><ref name="jazeera14-04-07">{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/04/protesters-seize-arms-ukrainian-city-20144772324155489.html|title=Ukraine activists declare Donetsk sovereignty|newspaper=[[Al Jazeera]]|publisher=[[Al Jazeera Media Network]]|archivedate=11 April 2014|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140411083536/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/04/protesters-seize-arms-ukrainian-city-20144772324155489.html|date=7 April 2014|accessdate=11 April 2014|quote=Pro-Russian activists who seized the main administration building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetskhave proclaimed the creation of a sovereign "people's republic" independent of Kiev rule.}}</ref> declared on 7 April 2014 by several hundred activists who currently occupy the [[Donetsk Regional State Administration Building|Regional Administration Building]] in [[Donetsk]].<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/kiev-says-russia-provokes-trouble-in-eastern-ukraine-just-as-in-crimea/2014/04/07/8242ee71-465b-4113-91be-93f8bfa67ff1_story.html In Donetsk, several hundred protesters who had occupied a regional administration building declared a “People’s Republic of Donetsk”], [[Washington Post]], April 7, 2014</ref><ref name=BBC100a6414>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26910210|title=Ukraine: Pro-Russians storm offices in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=6 April 2014}}</ref> As of April 10th it still controls the administration building, but has no electricity.<ref name=nyt10 /><ref>{{Cite news |title=US Mercenaries and Right Sector Fighters Move Into Donetsk – Militia Leader |agency=RIA Novosti |date=10 April 2014 |url=http://en.ria.ru/world/20140410/189141780/US-Mercenaries-and-Right-Sector-Fighters-Move-Into-Donetsk-.html }}</ref> Donetsk People's Republic has not been recognized by any other state.<ref name=nyt10>{{cite news|last=Higgins|first=Andrew|title=In Eastern Ukraine, a One-Building, Pro-Russia Realm Persists Despite Criticism|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/10/world/europe/ukraine-russia.html|newspaper=New York Times|date=11 April 2014|quote="an imaginary new nation that nobody, not even Russia, recognizes."}}</ref> There is little evidence that the separatists enjoy any public support,<ref name=support /><ref name=kiis1 /><ref name="WP">{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/kiev-says-russia-provokes-trouble-in-eastern-ukraine-just-as-in-crimea/2014/04/07/8242ee71-465b-4113-91be-93f8bfa67ff1_story.html | title=Uptick in eastern Ukraine tension prompts worries about Russia’s next move | work=Washington Post | date=7 April 2014 | accessdate=8 April 2014| author = Lally, Kathy | author2=Englund, Will}}</ref> and ''[[The New York Times]]'' says that many locals consider it a 'crackpot project'.<ref name=nyt10/>
The '''Donetsk People's Republic''' ({{lang-ru|Донецкая народная республика}}, ''{{transl|ru|Donetskaya narodnaya respublika}}'') is a [[self-proclaimed]] state,<ref name="kpost14-04-11">{{cite news|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/pro-russian-separatists-dig-in-at-donetsk-government-342977.html|title=Donetsk separatists hold oblast government headquarters|location=Donetsk|first=Mark|last=Rachkevych|newspaper=[[Kyiv Post]]|date=10 April 2014|accessdate=11 April 2014|archivedate=10 April 2014|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410232055/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/pro-russian-separatists-dig-in-at-donetsk-government-342977.html|quote=[...] home to the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk.}}</ref><ref name="jazeera14-04-07">{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/04/protesters-seize-arms-ukrainian-city-20144772324155489.html|title=Ukraine activists declare Donetsk sovereignty|newspaper=[[Al Jazeera]]|publisher=[[Al Jazeera Media Network]]|archivedate=11 April 2014|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140411083536/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/04/protesters-seize-arms-ukrainian-city-20144772324155489.html|date=7 April 2014|accessdate=11 April 2014|quote=Pro-Russian activists who seized the main administration building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetskhave proclaimed the creation of a sovereign "people's republic" independent of Kiev rule.}}</ref> declared on 7 April 2014 by several hundred activists who currently occupy the [[Donetsk Regional State Administration Building|Regional Administration Building]] in [[Donetsk]].<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/kiev-says-russia-provokes-trouble-in-eastern-ukraine-just-as-in-crimea/2014/04/07/8242ee71-465b-4113-91be-93f8bfa67ff1_story.html In Donetsk, several hundred protesters who had occupied a regional administration building declared a “People’s Republic of Donetsk”], [[Washington Post]], April 7, 2014</ref><ref name=BBC100a6414>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26910210|title=Ukraine: Pro-Russians storm offices in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=6 April 2014}}</ref> As of April 10th it still controls the administration building, but has no electricity.<ref name=nyt10 /><ref>{{Cite news |title=US Mercenaries and Right Sector Fighters Move Into Donetsk – Militia Leader |agency=RIA Novosti |date=10 April 2014 |url=http://en.ria.ru/world/20140410/189141780/US-Mercenaries-and-Right-Sector-Fighters-Move-Into-Donetsk-.html }}</ref> Donetsk People's Republic has not been recognized by any other state.<ref name=nyt10>{{cite news|last=Higgins|first=Andrew|title=In Eastern Ukraine, a One-Building, Pro-Russia Realm Persists Despite Criticism|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/10/world/europe/ukraine-russia.html|newspaper=New York Times|date=11 April 2014|quote="an imaginary new nation that nobody, not even Russia, recognizes."}}</ref> There is little evidence that the separatists enjoy any public support,<ref name=support /><ref name=kiis1 /><ref name="WP">{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/kiev-says-russia-provokes-trouble-in-eastern-ukraine-just-as-in-crimea/2014/04/07/8242ee71-465b-4113-91be-93f8bfa67ff1_story.html | title=Uptick in eastern Ukraine tension prompts worries about Russia’s next move | work=Washington Post | date=7 April 2014 | accessdate=8 April 2014| author = Lally, Kathy | author2=Englund, Will}}</ref> and ''[[The New York Times]]'' says that many locals consider it a 'crackpot project'.<ref name=nyt10/>


The building is occupied by the [[Donetsk Republic (organization)|Donetsk Republic]] organization, a group banned in Ukraine since 2007. The group's leader, Andrei Purgin, was arrested weeks prior on charges of separatism.<ref name=arrest>[http://espreso.tv/new/2014/03/19/sbu_zatrymala_lidera_doneckoyi_respubliky SBU detained the leader of Donetsk Republic]. Espreso. March 19, 2014</ref> The political leader of the state is the self-declared People's Governor [[Pavel Gubarev]], who is currently under arrest on charges of separatism and being held in Kiev.<ref name="march10afp">{{cite news|url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140309/pro-russian-gubarev-symbol-east-ukraine-separatism|title=Pro-Russian Gubarev, a symbol of east Ukraine separatism|publisher=GlobalPost|date=2014-03-10|accessdate=2014-03-10}}</ref>
The building is occupied by the [[Donetsk Republic (organization)|Donetsk Republic]] organization, a group banned in Ukraine since 2007. The group's leader, Andrei Purgin, was arrested weeks prior on charges of separatism.<ref name=arrest>[http://espreso.tv/new/2014/03/19/sbu_zatrymala_lidera_doneckoyi_respubliky SBU detained the leader of Donetsk Republic]. Espreso. March 19, 2014</ref> The political leader of the state is the self-declared ''People's Governor'' [[Pavel Gubarev]],<ref name=leader />
who is also currently under arrest on charges of separatism. Gubarev was formerly a member of the neo-Nazi [[Russian National Unity]] paramilitary group,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newrepublic.com/article/117048/crimean-referendum-was-electoral-farce|title=Far-Right Forces are Influencing Russia's Actions in Crimea|last=Snyder|first=Timothy|authorlink=Timothy D. Snyder|publisher=[[The New Republic]]|date=17 March 2014|quote="In Donetsk Gubarov was known as a neo-Nazi and as a member of the fascist organization Russian National Unity."}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://iwpr.net/report-news/far-right-recruited-crimea-poll-observers|title=Far-Right Recruited as Crimea Poll Observers|last=Coynash|first=Halya|publisher=[[Institute for War and Peace Reporting]]|date=18 March 2014|quote="Pavel Gubarev, a former member of the neo-Nazi, Russian chauvinist Russian National Unity movement"}}</ref><ref name=kpgubnaz>{{cite news|title=Russia’s deep ties to Donetsk’s Kremlin collaborators|url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/russias-deep-ties-to-donetsks-kremlin-collaborators-342833.html|newspaper=Kyiv Post|date=10 April 2014|quote="In Donetsk, Pavel Gubarev, a Ukrainian citizen and former member of the Russian National Unity movement, attempted to head the protest."}}</ref><ref name=tsn-gub>{{cite news|title=Kremlin turns a blind eye to the rampant Nazism in the country|url=http://ru.tsn.ua/politika/rossiya-stanovitsya-nacistskoy-fashisty-ubivayut-migrantov-ne-priznayut-ukrainu-i-prizyvayut-k-diversiyam-359854.html|newspaper=TSN.ua|date=10 April 2014|quote="It is worth noting that Gubarev was recently an activist of the Russian radical nationalist organization - Russian National Unity, which is included in the International Union of National Socialists."}}</ref> as well as the Communist [[Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine]].<ref name="march10afp">{{cite news|url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140309/pro-russian-gubarev-symbol-east-ukraine-separatism|title=Pro-Russian Gubarev, a symbol of east Ukraine separatism|publisher=GlobalPost|date=2014-03-10|accessdate=2014-03-10}}</ref>


According to the ''[[Kyiv Post]]'', Most of the protesters are 50 years or older, while inside the building, many of the occupiers are younger but from other cities like Mariupol, Kherson and Mykolaiv. Women are also inside the building.<ref name=kpapr10 /> Numerous Russian citizens, including leaders of various far-right militant groups, have also taken part in the events.<ref>http://novosti.dn.ua/details/219773/</ref>
According to the ''[[Kyiv Post]]'', Most of the protesters are 50 years or older, while inside the building, many of the occupiers are younger but from other cities like Mariupol, Kherson and Mykolaiv. Women are also inside the building.<ref name=kpapr10 /> Numerous Russian citizens, including leaders of various far-right militant groups, have also taken part in the events.<ref>http://novosti.dn.ua/details/219773/</ref>

Revision as of 15:22, 12 April 2014

Donetsk People's Republic
Доне́цкая наро́дная респу́блика
The area claimed by the Donetsk People's Republic in Eastern Ukraine in relation to the separatist claims by the Lugansk insurgency and the "Kharkov People's Republic"
The area claimed by the Donetsk People's Republic in Eastern Ukraine in relation to the separatist claims by the Lugansk insurgency and the "Kharkov People's Republic"
Capital
and largest city
Donetsk
Government
• People's Governor
Pavel Gubarev[1]
LegislatureProvisional People's Government[2]
Donetsk People's Council
Independence from Ukraine
• Declared
7 April 2014
• Referendum
11 May 2014

The Donetsk People's Republic (Russian: Донецкая народная республика, Donetskaya narodnaya respublika) is a self-proclaimed state,[3][4] declared on 7 April 2014 by several hundred activists who currently occupy the Regional Administration Building in Donetsk.[5][6] As of April 10th it still controls the administration building, but has no electricity.[7][8] Donetsk People's Republic has not been recognized by any other state.[7] There is little evidence that the separatists enjoy any public support,[9][10][11] and The New York Times says that many locals consider it a 'crackpot project'.[7]

The building is occupied by the Donetsk Republic organization, a group banned in Ukraine since 2007. The group's leader, Andrei Purgin, was arrested weeks prior on charges of separatism.[12] The political leader of the state is the self-declared People's Governor Pavel Gubarev,[1] who is also currently under arrest on charges of separatism. Gubarev was formerly a member of the neo-Nazi Russian National Unity paramilitary group,[13][14][15][16] as well as the Communist Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine.[17]

According to the Kyiv Post, Most of the protesters are 50 years or older, while inside the building, many of the occupiers are younger but from other cities like Mariupol, Kherson and Mykolaiv. Women are also inside the building.[18] Numerous Russian citizens, including leaders of various far-right militant groups, have also taken part in the events.[19]

History

Background

Ukrainian Riot Police guarding the entrance to the RSA building on 7 March.

Similar attempts to seize the RSA building have been occurring since pro-Russian protests began in the Eastern and Southern regions of Ukraine in the wake of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. Pro-Russian protesters previously occupied the Donetsk RSA from 1 March to 6 March, before being removed by the Security Service of Ukraine.[20][21] According to Ukrainian authorities the seizure of RSA's are part of "a script which has been written in the Russian Federation" to destabilize Ukraine and bring in Russian troops executed by "about 1,500 radicals in each region who spoke with clear Russian accents".[22]

Public opinion

In a poll conducted by Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in the first half of February 2014, 33.2% of polled in Donetsk Oblast believed "Ukraine and Russia must unite into a single state".[10]

In an opinion poll taken 14–26 March by the International Republican Institute, 53% of Eastern Ukraine support Ukraine remaining as a unitary state while 4% of Eastern Ukraine support separatism ("divide into several countries").[23]

According to a poll conducted by the Donetsk Institute of Social Research and Policy Analysis, 66% of Donetsk residents view their future in a united Ukraine, while 4.7% support separatism.[24] A second poll conducted 26-29 March showed that 77% of residents condemned the takeover of administrative buildings, while 16% support such actions. Furthermore, 40.8% of Donetsk citizens support rallies for Ukraine's unity, while 26.5% support rallies which are pro-Russia.[9]

Proclamation

Pro-Russian protesters occupying the Donetsk RSA building on 7 April 2014.
Veterans of the Soviet war in Afghanistan play a song in support of the protesters.
A map of the Donetsk Oblast in the occupied RSA building, defaced with the word "Russia" in Russian.
Fighter planes presumably of the Ukrainian Air Force fly over the occupied RSA building, 7 April.

On Sunday, 6 April 2014, 1,000-2,000[6] pro-Russia protesters attended a rally in Donetsk pushing for a Crimea-style referendum on independence from Ukraine.[25] The proposed referendum has no status-quo option.[18] After which, 200 separatists (according to Igor Dyomin, a spokesman for Donetsk local police, about 1,000[6]) pro-Russian protesters stormed and took control of the first two floors of the building, breaking down doors and smashing windows. The administration headquarters were empty, with only guards inside, as government officials would not work there on Sundays.[25] The separatists demanded that if an extraordinary session was not held by officials, announcing a referendum to join Russia, they would declare unilateral control by forming a "People's Mandate" at noon on 7 April, and dismiss all elected council members and MPs.[26][27][28] The people who voted within the RSA were not elected to the positions they assumed.[29] According to the Russian ITAR-TASS the declaration was voted by some regional legislators, however there are claims that neither the Donetsk city council nor district councils of the city delegated any representatives to the session.[30][31]

On 6 April, the group's leaders announced that a referendum, on whether Donetsk Oblast should "join the Russian Federation", would take place "no later than 11 May 2014."[32][33] Additionally, the group's leaders have appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to send Russian peacekeeping forces to the region.[32][33][34]

On the morning of 8 April, the 'Patriotic Forces of Donbass', a pro-Kyiv group unrelated to Donetsk Republic organization who proclaimed independence and seized the council,[35] issued a statement on its Facebook page against the other group's declaration of independence, citing complaints from locals.[36][37][38] Their announcement stated that they would quash the potential state's establishment, cancel the referendum, and, on their part, stated that the declaration is illegal.[39] Protesters reportedly gave up some weapons too.[38] Despite this, the Donetsk Republic organization continued to occupy the RSA and declared themselves the legitimate authority, and upheld all previous calls for a referendum and the release of their leader Pavel Gubarev.[40][a] In the afternoon of 8 April, about a thousand people rallied in front of the RSA listening to speeches about the Donetsk People's Republic and to Soviet and Russian music.[41]

On the second day of the Republic, organizers decided to pour all of their alcohol out and announce a prohibition law after issues arose due to excess drinking in the building.[42]

Standoff

In response to the actions, acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov vowed to launch a major counter-terrorism operation against separatist movements in the country's eastern regions.[43] Later that day on 7 April, the SBU office in Donetsk was retaken by SBU Alpha Group.[44][45]

Ukrainian acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced on 9 April that the separatist protests in Ukraine's eastern region would be resolved within 48 hours – either through negotiations or the use of force. "There are two opposite ways for resolving this conflict -- a political dialogue and the heavy-handed approach. We are ready for both," he said, according to official news agency Ukrinform. Acting President Olexander Turchynov has already signed a decree to take the Donetsk Regional State Administration "under state protection,"[46][47] and has offered amnesty to the separatists if they lay down their arms and surrender.[48] On the 11th, Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said he was against the use of law enforcement scenarios, "but there is a limit."[49]

On April 12, unmarked pro-Russian soldiers seizued the Interior Ministry office in Donetsk.[50] Following negotiations with those in the building, the head of the Donetsk Ministry of Internal Affairs resigned.[51]

Militants in other regions on Donetsk Oblast

On April 12 masked men in army fatigues and bulletproof vests, armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles captured the executive committee building, the police department and SBU office in Sloviansk, a city in the northern part of the Donetsk Oblast.[50][52][53][54] According to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry the militants fired indiscriminately on the building.[55] Pro-Russian extremists also reportedly tried to take the police station in Shakhtarsk, and succeeded in taking the police station in Chervony Lyman.[50] The mayor of Sloviansk, Nelya Shtepa, supported the militants and claimed that the town administration building was seized by activists and militia volunteers, who removed the Ukrainian flag from the building and replaced it with a Russian one.[56][57] A group of 150 people supported the armed militants outside the police station in Sloviansk and were hostile to journalists, telling them to "go back to Kiev."[50]

Police are taking measures to resolve the situation in Sloviansk, and the local police chief is holding talks with the armed men, Ukrainian First Deputy Interior Minister Volodymyr Yevdokymov told Interfax.[50]

The well-organized and well-armed pro-Russian militants have been described as resembling those which occupied regions of Crimea during the 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine.[50][58] According to a spokesman for the Donetsk People's Republic, the militants in Sloviansk are "an independent group who are supporting the Donetsk protest."[59]

Leadership

Donetsk People's Council was formed out of protesters who occupied the building of the Donetsk Regional Council on April 6, 2014.[26][27][60]

Ukrainian presidential candidate Oleg Tsarov, who had recently been kicked out of the Party of Regions, traveled to Donetsk and said he was ready to become a leader of the so-called "South-east movement". Tsarov also assured separatists in Donetsk that will do everything to disrupt the presidential elections, which are scheduled for May 25. "I'm sure that will be no elections," he said. He then promised that he would create a "central authority" within the center of Donetsk.[61]

Reactions

Domestic
  • Donetsk City Council (and nine district councils of the city) distanced itself of the RSA occupiers and they stated (on 7 April): "The Donetsk city council and district councils continue working in the legal field. We see ensuring the vital functions of the city as our main task".[31]
  • The Independent Trade Union of Miners in Donetsk announced it would not support the pro-Russian separatist movement.[62]
Foreign
  •  Russia – On 7 April Russia's foreign ministry accused Ukrainian authorities of "blaming" the Russian government for all its troubles and stated "Ukrainian people want to get a clear answer from Kiev to all their questions. It's time to listen to these legal claims".[29][63] It also stated it was "carefully observing" events in the east and south of Ukraine, and again called for "real constitutional reform" that would turn Ukraine into a federation.[64] In an 7 April opinion piece in The Guardian Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov wrote it was the west, and not Russia, that was guilty of destabilising Ukraine and that "Russia is doing all it can to promote early stabilisation in Ukraine".[64][65]
    •  Crimea - A public organization that unites over 50,000 Crimean Tatars on 11 April 2014 expressed support for protesters in southeastern Ukraine.The organization’s members said that after the seizure of power in Kiev, those who yesterday shouted from the Maidan rostrum that it is inadmissible to spill the blood of peaceful protesters are ready today to cover the entire southeast of Ukraine with the blood of peaceful nationals.[66]
  •  United States – US Secretary of State John Kerry said on 7 April 2014 that the events "did not appear to be spontaneous" and called on Russia to "publicly disavow the activities of separatists, saboteurs and provocateurs" in a phone call to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.[29]


See also

Notes

  1. ^ The group stated they:
    1) do not recognize the Ukrainian authorities;
    2) consider themselves the legitimate authority;
    3) "sent into retirement" of all law enforcement officials appointed by the central government and Governor Serhiy Taruta;
    4) "prescribed" in the May 11 referendum on self-determination Donetsk;
    5) require the issuance of its leader Pavel Gubarev and others are detained separatists;
    6) require Ukraine to withdrawal its troops and paramilitary forces;
    7) start the process of finding mechanisms of cooperation with the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia and other separatist groups (in Kharkiv and Luhansk).[40]

References

  1. ^ a b ""Donetsk Republic" while there is still and wants the Customs Union". Ukrayinska Pravda. April 8, 2014. require the release of its leader Paul Gubarev and other detained separatists;
  2. ^ "Сепаратисты в Донецкой ОГА готовятся к штурму и формируют "новое временное правительство" ФОТО". novosti.dn.ua (in Russian). April 8, 2014.
  3. ^ Rachkevych, Mark (April 10, 2014). "Donetsk separatists hold oblast government headquarters". Kyiv Post. Donetsk. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2014. [...] home to the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Ukraine activists declare Donetsk sovereignty". Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera Media Network. April 7, 2014. Archived from the original on April 11, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2014. Pro-Russian activists who seized the main administration building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetskhave proclaimed the creation of a sovereign "people's republic" independent of Kiev rule. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ In Donetsk, several hundred protesters who had occupied a regional administration building declared a “People’s Republic of Donetsk”, Washington Post, April 7, 2014
  6. ^ a b c "Ukraine: Pro-Russians storm offices in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv". BBC News. April 6, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Higgins, Andrew (April 11, 2014). "In Eastern Ukraine, a One-Building, Pro-Russia Realm Persists Despite Criticism". New York Times. an imaginary new nation that nobody, not even Russia, recognizes.
  8. ^ "US Mercenaries and Right Sector Fighters Move Into Donetsk – Militia Leader". RIA Novosti. April 10, 2014.
  9. ^ a b "Total of 77 percent of citizens in Donetsk condemn administrative buildings takeover". www.kyivpost.com. April 10, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  10. ^ a b "How relations between Ukraine and Russia should look like? Public opinion polls' results". Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. March 4, 2014.
  11. ^ Lally, Kathy; Englund, Will (April 7, 2014). "Uptick in eastern Ukraine tension prompts worries about Russia's next move". Washington Post. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  12. ^ SBU detained the leader of Donetsk Republic. Espreso. March 19, 2014
  13. ^ Snyder, Timothy (March 17, 2014). "Far-Right Forces are Influencing Russia's Actions in Crimea". The New Republic. In Donetsk Gubarov was known as a neo-Nazi and as a member of the fascist organization Russian National Unity.
  14. ^ Coynash, Halya (March 18, 2014). "Far-Right Recruited as Crimea Poll Observers". Institute for War and Peace Reporting. Pavel Gubarev, a former member of the neo-Nazi, Russian chauvinist Russian National Unity movement
  15. ^ "Russia's deep ties to Donetsk's Kremlin collaborators". Kyiv Post. April 10, 2014. In Donetsk, Pavel Gubarev, a Ukrainian citizen and former member of the Russian National Unity movement, attempted to head the protest.
  16. ^ "Kremlin turns a blind eye to the rampant Nazism in the country". TSN.ua. April 10, 2014. It is worth noting that Gubarev was recently an activist of the Russian radical nationalist organization - Russian National Unity, which is included in the International Union of National Socialists.
  17. ^ "Pro-Russian Gubarev, a symbol of east Ukraine separatism". GlobalPost. March 10, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  18. ^ a b "Pro-Russians fortify barricade of gubernatorial building in Donetsk". Kyiv Post. April 10, 2014.
  19. ^ http://novosti.dn.ua/details/219773/
  20. ^ "Ukrainian city of Donetsk epitomizes country's crisis". CBS News. March 6, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  21. ^ "Oligarch tries to stamp Kiev authority on restive east". The Financial Times. March 6, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  22. ^ "Protests in eastern Ukraine aimed at bringing in Russian troops, warns PM". Reuters. April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  23. ^ "2014 April 5 IRI Public Opinion Survey of Ukraine, March 14-26, 2014.pdf" (PDF). International Republican Institute. April 5, 2014.
  24. ^ "66% дончан видят будущее в единой Украине". Donbass News. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  25. ^ a b "Pro-Russian protesters seize govt buildings in Ukraine's Donetsk, Lugansk and Kharkov". Russia Today. April 7, 2014.
  26. ^ a b "Воскресный штурм ДонОГА в фотографиях". novosti.dn.ua (in Russian). April 6, 2014.
  27. ^ a b "Донецькі сепаратисти готуються сформувати "народну облраду" та приєднатися до РФ" (in Ukrainian). Ukrayinska Pravda. April 6, 2014.
  28. ^ "Сепаратисты выставили ультиматум: референдум о вхождении Донецкой области в состав РФ". novosti.dn.ua (in Russian). April 6, 2014.
  29. ^ a b c Ukraine crisis: Protesters declare Donetsk 'republic', BBC News (7 April 2014)
  30. ^ "The Donetsk city council asks citizens not to participate in unlawful actions". NGO.Donetsk. April 7, 2014.
  31. ^ a b Donetsk City Council urges leaders of protests held in city to hold talks, lay down arms immediately – statement, Interfax-Ukraine (7 April 2014)
  32. ^ a b "Activists declare Donetsk republic after capturing regional administration in Eastern Ukraine". RT News. April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  33. ^ a b "Regional legislators proclaim industrial center Donetsk People's Republic". ITAR-TASS. April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  34. ^ "обращение народа Донбасса к Путину В.В." YouTube.
  35. ^ [1]
  36. ^ (8 April 2014). Донецкая республика не продержалась и дня? ("Donestk Republic did not last a day?"), pravda.com.ua
  37. ^ (8 April 2014). Решение о создании «Донецкой народной республики» отменено (Decision to establish a "people's republic of Donetsk" canceled), Gazeta.ru
  38. ^ a b Ukraine forces retake Kharkiv building, pro-Russians hold out elsewhere, Euronews (2 April 2014)
  39. ^ [2]
  40. ^ a b Template:Uk icon "Donetsk Republic" while there is still and wants the Customs Union, Ukrayinska Pravda (8 April 2014)
  41. ^ Pro-Russian protesters build barricades at Donetsk city hall, BBC News (8 April 2014)
  42. ^ Ostrovsky, Simon (April 12, 2014). "Russian Roulette: The Invasion of Ukraine (Dispatch Twenty Three)". VICE News. It's day 2 of the People's Republic of Donetsk, and it smells like there was a huge frat party here, because earlier today they decided to pour all their alcohol out onto the barricades out front because apparently there's been a problem with a little bit too much drinking inside the building.
  43. ^ "Pro-Russian Group in Donetsk declare independence from Ukraine". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  44. ^ "В Донецке в результате спецоперации освобождено здание СБУ" (in Russian). Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. April 7, 2014.
  45. ^ "Спецназ вигнав сепаратистів з будівлі СБУ в Донецьку – Сюмар" (in Ukrainian). Ukrinform. April 7, 2014.
  46. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/09/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html
  47. ^ http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/9/7021915/
  48. ^ http://novosti.dn.ua/details/222329/
  49. ^ http://novosti.dn.ua/details/222442/
  50. ^ a b c d e f Rachkevych, Mark (April 12, 2014). "Armed pro-Russian extremists launch coordinated attacks in Donetsk Oblast, seize buildings and set up checkpoints". Kyiv Post.
  51. ^ "Сепаратисти змусили керівника Донецької облміліції піти у відставку". Ukrainska Pravda. April 12, 2014.
  52. ^ "Аваков: В Славянске неизвестные захватили здания милиции". Komsomolskaya Pravda. April 12, 2014.
  53. ^ "Сторонники федерализации захватили здание горадминистрации Славянска". Life News. April 12, 2014.
  54. ^ "Над зданием милиции в Славянске водрузили российский флаг". Life News. April 12, 2014.
  55. ^ "У М. СЛОВ'ЯНСЬКУ ЗАХОПЛЕНО БУДІВЛЮ СБУ" (in Ukrainian). Ukrainian Interior Ministry. April 12, 2014.
  56. ^ http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_04_12/Mass-media-report-Russian-flag-raised-above-Sloviansk-town-administration-2649/
  57. ^ http://en.itar-tass.com/world/727547
  58. ^ "ПІД СЛОВ'ЯНСЬКОМ З'ЯВИЛИСЯ "ЗЕЛЕНІ ЧОЛОВІЧКИ"". Ukrainska Pravda. April 12, 2014.
  59. ^ "Ukraine gunmen seize two buildings in Sloviansk". BBC News. April 12, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
  60. ^ "Сепаратисты выставили ультиматум: референдум о вхождении Донецкой области в состав РФ". novosti.dn.ua (in Russian). April 6, 2014.
  61. ^ http://www.unian.net/politics/906960-tsarev-zayavil-chto-gotov-stat-liderom-separatistov-i-sorvat-prezidentskie-vyiboryi.html
  62. ^ "Шахтеры Донбасса выступили против сепаратизма" (in Russian). Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. April 7, 2014.
  63. ^ Russia trying to 'dismember' Ukraine through protests, Kiev says, CNN (7 April 2014)
  64. ^ a b Ukraine crisis escalates as pro-Russia activists declare independence in Donetsk, The Guardian (7 April 2014)
  65. ^ Sergei Lavrov: It's not Russia that is destabilising Ukraine, The Guardian (7 April 2014)
  66. ^ http://en.itar-tass.com/world/727458