Short answers, pulled from the story.
The first town of Solanoye rose from the steppe in 1676 to exploit newly discovered rock-salt reserves. This settlement marked the beginning of permanent habitation in what was once known as the Wild Fields.
Welsh businessman John Hughes founded Yuzivka on the site of an old Zaporozhian Cossack town in 1869. He built steel mills and collieries that transformed the landscape forever into the heart of a massive industrial region.
Ethnic Russians constituted only 28.7% of the population while Ukrainians made up 52.4% during the Russian Imperial Census of 1897. Despite this majority, Russians formed the majority of the industrial workforce in the new cities.
In what was then called Stalino Oblast now Donetsk Oblast 279000 civilians died over the course of the occupation. Another 45649 people perished in Voroshilovgrad Oblast now known as Luhansk Oblast.
Russia officially recognized independence of Donetsk and Luhansk republics on the 21st of February 2022 killing the Minsk agreements. On the 30th of September 2022 Russia unilaterally declared annexation of Donbas together with Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.