Russian separatist forces in Ukraine:- principally the People’s Militias of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), were pro-Russian paramilitaries in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas area. They were under the total control of the Russian Federation[5] and were also known as Russian proxy forces.[6] They were active throughout the Donbas War (2014-2022), the first stage of the Russo-Ukrainian War. They then backed the Russian Armed Forces against the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the 2022 Russian invasion. In September 2022, Russia annexed the DPR and LPR and began incorporating the paramilitaries into its armed forces.[7] The Ukrainian government has labeled them as terrorist groups.[8]
Russian separatist forces in Ukraine:-Separatist paramilitaries were founded amid Ukraine’s pro-Russian protests in 2014. Pavel Gubarev founded the Donbas People’s Militia in March 2014, claiming to be the “People’s Governor” of Donetsk Oblast[9], while the Army of the South-East was formed in Luhansk Oblast. The Donbas War began in April 2014, when these organizations seized Ukrainian government buildings in the Donbas, prompting the Ukrainian military to launch an anti-terrorist operation against them.
Russian separatist forces in Ukraine:-During the Donbas war, Russian far-right organizations were highly involved in recruiting separatists, and many far-right activists joined them to form volunteer units.[10][11] The Russian separatists have been held accountable for war crimes, including the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17[12] and the Mariupol rocket strikes, which they have denied.[13] The militias were also involved for illegal abductions, incarceration, and torture of people in the Donbas.[14]
The Russian Armed Forces backed and used separatist paramilitaries as proxies.[15] Ukraine, the US, and other analysts believe they are under the direction of Russia’s 8th Guards Combined Arms Army.[16][17][18][19] Although the Russian government frequently denied direct involvement, evidence indicated otherwise.[20] The rebels admitted to getting weapons and supplies from Russia, being trained there, and having thousands of Russian citizens among their ranks.[20][21][22] By September 2015, Russian Army commanders were commanding separatist formations at the battalion and higher levels.[23] In 2023, Russia recognized separatists who served in the Donbas war as eligible for Russian combat veteran status.[24]
Russian separatist forces in Ukraine:- Although referred to as “militias,”[25] just before the 2022 Russian invasion, separatist republics began forcing males to fight for Russia.[26][27][28] The Donbas conscripts have been regarded as “cannon fodder” for Russian forces;[29][30] according to official separatist sources, the mortality rate of the separatist battalions had reached about 50% by November 2022.[30]
On March 3, 2014, during the 2014 pro-Russian uprising in Ukraine, demonstrators gained possession of the Donetsk regional government building.[31] Pavel Gubarev’s Donbas People’s Militia, an armed rebel group, took part.[31] This occurred when 11 Ukrainian cities with large ethnic Russian populations erupted in protests against the new Ukrainian government.[31] On April 6, 2014, 2,000 pro-Russian protestors gathered outside the regional administration office.[32] On the same day, demonstrators in eastern Ukraine attacked the regional government building in Kharkiv and the SBU headquarters in Luhansk.[9] The groups formed a People’s Council and wanted a referendum similar to the one held in Crimea.[32][nb 2]
The Donbas war Russian separatist forces in Ukraine:
On April 12, armed Donbas People’s Militia fighters seized government facilities in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk[41], erecting checkpoints and barricades.[42][43][44] The same day, former members of the Donetsk “Berkut” unit joined the Donbas People’s Militia.[45]
On April 13, the newly formed Ukrainian government issued a deadline for separatists to disarm or face a “full-scale anti-terrorist campaign” in the region.[46] Later that day, rumors surfaced of fighting between the people’s militia and Ukrainian troops near Sloviansk, with both sides suffering losses.[47] On April 14, members of the Donbas People’s Militia prevented Ukrainian military KrAZ vehicles equipped with Grad rockets from entering the city.[48][49] On April 15, the Ukrainian government initiated a full-fledged “Anti-Terrorist Operation” with the goal of regaining their authority over the districts captured by the militia.[50]