After Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, international attention shifted to eastern Ukraine. Just weeks later, in April, separatist activists in Donetsk proclaimed the creation of the self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
Unlike Crimea, the Donbas region had no Russian military bases. Instead, the separatist movement relied on local militias and civilian supporters, often encouraged and supplied by Russia.
Armed groups erected roadblocks, spread anti-Western and anti-European slogans, and began seizing government administration buildings, police stations, and military facilities.
In response, Kyiv launched what it called an “anti-terrorist operation” aimed at regaining control of the region. Despite these efforts, the separatists organized a referendum on May 11, 2014, declaring independence from Ukraine. The vote was conducted without international oversight, widely condemned as illegal by both the Ukrainian government and Western countries.
The referendum deepened unrest, setting the stage for a protracted and violent conflict in the Donbas that would endure for years.
