War in Donbas

Despite Ukraine's independence since 1991, Russia viewed the country as within its sphere of influence. Following the 2013 Euromaidan protests against President Viktor Yanukovych's pivot towards Russia, pro-Russian sentiments surged in the Donbas region, which had a mixed population of ethnic Ukrainians and Russians.

In the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity, unmarked Russian troops occupied Crimea, and pro-Russian protests erupted in the Donbas, where a significant portion of the population supported Yanukovych.

The war in Donbas began on 12 April 2014, when a Russian commando unit led by Igor 'Strelkov' Girkin crossed into Ukraine and seized the town of Sloviansk. This marked the start of an armed uprising against the Ukrainian government, leading to the declaration of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) as independent states.

Ukraine's military responded with an Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) but struggled to regain control of the territory as Russian military support bolstered the separatists.

The Minsk agreement was signed in September 2014 to establish a ceasefire and outline steps for conflict resolution, including the withdrawal of foreign troops and elections under Ukrainian law. However, violations occurred, including the separatists holding their own elections in November 2014.

A second ceasefire, Minsk II, was agreed upon in February 2015, but fighting continued, leading to a protracted stalemate characterized by trench warfare and ongoing casualties.

In 2021, tensions escalated as Russian forces amassed near Ukraine's borders, and attacks by Russian proxies increased. On 21 February 2022, Russia recognized the DPR and LPR as independent states and deployed troops under the guise of 'peacekeeping'.

This prelude culminated in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, effectively subsuming the ongoing conflict in Donbas into a broader war.

The conflict in Donbas resulted in approximately 14,000 deaths, including 4,400 Ukrainian forces, 6,500 Russian and proxy forces, and 3,400 civilians. The majority of civilian casualties occurred in the first year of fighting.

The war displaced around 2 million people from the Donbas region, significantly impacting the local population, which was around 6.1 million in 2011.