War in Donbas

• 1. Origins and Escalation

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  On the 12th of April 2014, a heavily armed unit led by Russian citizen Igor Girkin seized the town of Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine. This commando group, wearing no insignia, arrived from occupied Crimea to spark an uprising against the Ukrainian government. They attacked and occupied the local administration building, police station, and Security Service headquarters within hours. The unit consisted of fifty volunteers from the Russian Armed Forces who set up roadblocks and seized weapons from local arsenals. Girkin later admitted in an interview that his unit pulled the trigger on this war, stating that without their cross-border movement, the protests would have fizzled out like those in Kharkiv or Odesa.

  Following the seizure of Sloviansk, pro-Russian militants moved quickly to capture Kramatorsk, Horlivka, and other towns across Donetsk Oblast. By mid-April, they had taken control of multiple city administrations and raised flags for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. Local elected officials were detained or replaced by figures linked to Russian security services. On the 6th of April, thousands of demonstrators demanded a referendum on autonomy or joining Russia, storming government buildings and seizing weapons from the SBU headquarters. The situation escalated rapidly as separatists declared independence and began organizing referendums scheduled for May 11 and 18.

  The initial phase saw Ukrainian forces struggle to respond effectively. On the 15th of April, President Oleksandr Turchynov announced an Anti-Terrorist Operation to retake lost territory. However, early Ukrainian military efforts stalled due to poor preparation and hesitation about potential Russian intervention. Pro-Russian paramilitaries held key positions while Ukrainian special forces faced ambushes and civilian resistance. By late April, the conflict had expanded beyond localized protests into a coordinated campaign involving disinformation, irregular fighters, and covert Russian military support.

• 2. Hybrid Warfare Tactics

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  Russia employed a hybrid approach combining disinformation, irregular fighters, and direct military intervention to destabilize Ukraine. Between April and June 2014, pro-Russian militants seized dozens of towns including Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Horlivka, and Mariupol. These operations involved unmarked units crossing from Crimea and Russia itself. On the 11th of June, Ukrainian officials confirmed that tanks crossed the border into Donetsk Oblast, with three T-64 tanks spotted moving through Makiivka and Torez flying the Russian flag. The US State Department stated these weapons originated from Russia rather than captured Ukrainian stockpiles.

  Disinformation campaigns played a central role in the strategy. Russian media portrayed Ukraine's new interim government as an illegitimate fascist junta threatening ethnic Russians. Leaked emails revealed that Kremlin advisers Vladislav Surkov and Sergey Glazyev funded and organized separatist movements. On the 9th of April, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov declared that separatist occupations would end within 48 hours by negotiation or force. Yet pro-Russian forces refused to disarm until Ukrainian nationalist groups like Right Sector laid down their arms first.

  The conflict featured summary executions, kidnappings, and torture of civilians and journalists. American journalist Simon Ostrovsky was among more than two dozen people kidnapped by pro-Russian militants. Local politicians like Volodymyr Rybak were abducted and later found dead in rivers near Sloviansk. On the 22nd of May, insurgents killed eighteen Ukrainian soldiers during an attack on a checkpoint near Volnovakha. Three armored personnel carriers and several trucks were destroyed in the ambush. These tactics created a climate of fear while allowing Moscow to maintain plausible deniability about direct involvement.

• 3. Major Battles and Frontlines

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  The First Battle of Donetsk Airport began on the 26th of May 2014 when pro-Russian insurgents captured the main terminal and erected roadblocks. Government forces launched assaults using paratroopers and airstrikes targeting anti-aircraft guns operated by separatists. An estimated forty insurgents died during the fighting, with some civilians caught in crossfire. A friendly-fire incident occurred when two lorries carrying wounded fighters were mistaken for Ukrainian forces and ambushed, killing between fifteen and thirty insurgents. The Druzhba Arena in Donetsk city was ransacked and set ablaze by pro-Russian insurgents during this period.

  On the 17th of July 2014, DPR forces shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Hrabove village, killing all 298 people aboard. This disaster followed two similar incidents earlier that week when Ukrainian Air Force planes were also shot down. Investigations concluded that the airliner was downed by a Buk surface-to-air missile originating from Russia's 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. The launcher had been transported from Russia on the day of the crash and returned after use. Governments of the Netherlands and Australia held Russia responsible for deploying the weapon system.

  Heavy fighting continued throughout summer 2014 as government forces attempted to retake key cities. On the 5th of July, Ukrainian troops recaptured Sloviansk, forcing Igor Girkin's forces to retreat to Kramatorsk. By mid-July, they had gained control of Mariupol, declaring it the provisional capital of Donetsk Oblast. However, insurgent resistance remained fierce with battles occurring around Luhansk International Airport and in Shakhtarsk Raion. On the 24th of July, government forces captured Lysychansk while fighting raged around Horlivka where one important bridge collapsed, severing critical supply routes.

• 4. Minsk Agreements and Stalemate

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  The Minsk ceasefire agreement was signed in September 2014 despite ongoing hostilities. Russian-backed forces launched an assault on Donetsk Airport shortly after, eventually capturing it in January 2015. A new ceasefire known as Minsk II was agreed upon on the 12th of February 2015. Immediately following this accord, separatists renewed their offensive on Debaltseve, forcing Ukraine's military to withdraw from the strategic town. Both sides fortified positions by building networks of trenches, bunkers, and tunnels that defined static trench warfare for years.

  Donbas remained a war zone with dozens killed monthly throughout the conflict period. By the end of 2017, OSCE observers counted approximately thirty thousand people in military gear crossing from Russia at monitored border checkpoints. They also documented military convoys moving covertly across the frontier. All parties agreed to a roadmap for ending the war in October 2019, but the process remained unresolved until full-scale invasion began in 2022.

  During 2021, Russian proxies intensified attacks while regular Russian forces massed near Ukraine's borders. On the 21st of February 2022, Russia recognized both the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic as independent states before deploying peacekeeping troops there. The following day, Russia initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, subsuming the Donbas war into broader hostilities. This marked the transition from a regional conflict to an international war involving direct state-to-state combat.

• 5. Humanitarian Consequences

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  About fourteen thousand people died during the war in Donbas between 2014 and 2022. Six thousand five hundred were Russian or proxy forces, four thousand four hundred Ukrainian soldiers, and three thousand four hundred civilians on both sides. Most civilian casualties occurred within the first year of fighting. In 2011, Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts had a combined population of 6.1 million people. As a result of the conflict, two million fled as refugees seeking safety elsewhere.

  Infrastructure suffered extensive damage across the region. Shelling destroyed homes, hospitals, energy companies, and water treatment facilities. On the 2nd of June, explosions hit the occupied Regional State Administration building in Luhansk city, killing eight people and wounding more than twenty. Government airstrikes caused similar destruction in other areas including Druzhba Arena which was ransacked and set ablaze by pro-Russian insurgents. Power outages affected entire cities with Luhansk losing all electrical power while gas services were disrupted for over ten thousand households in Luhansk Oblast.

  Civilians faced constant danger from shelling, sniper fire, and indiscriminate attacks. During July 2014 alone, at least eleven houses were damaged in Petrovsky district of Donetsk city while one man was injured. Heavy shelling continued into August when residential buildings were heavily damaged and many remaining residents took shelter in basements. Hospitals and infrastructure became targets leading to humanitarian catastrophes in cities like Luhansk where mayor Sergei Kravchenko warned that ceaseless rocket attacks pushed the city toward collapse.

• 6. International Response and Accountability

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  Global sanctions targeted Russia following its covert involvement in Donbas operations. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe deployed monitors to observe ceasefire violations and document military movements. By late 2017, these observers had counted around thirty thousand individuals crossing from Russia at two monitored checkpoints while documenting covert military convoys moving across borders. OSCE teams also reported on civilian casualties and infrastructure damage throughout the conflict zone.

  Legal investigations focused on war crimes and the Malaysia Airlines tragedy. The Dutch Safety Board and joint investigation team concluded that Flight 17 was downed by a Buk missile originating from Russia's 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. Governments of the Netherlands and Australia held Russia formally accountable based on these findings. Investigations revealed that the launcher used to shoot down the airliner originated from Russian territory before being transported to Ukraine on the day of the crash.

  Russia denied direct responsibility despite evidence showing tanks and heavy weapons crossed the border into Donetsk Oblast. On the 11th of June, Ukrainian officials confirmed columns passing with armored vehicles and artillery pieces came directly from Russia. The US State Department stated confidently that these tanks originated from Russia rather than captured Ukrainian stockpiles. Despite international pressure, Moscow continued supporting separatist forces through covert channels while maintaining plausible deniability about direct military intervention.