Donbas

Ukraine election in 2010: blue regions include Dunbas and supported the victorious pro-Russia candidate and thereby opposed gay pride parades imposed by its current liberal president; the election was deemed fair but a Leftist revolution in 2014 ousted the pro-Russian president

Donetsk {yellow} and Luhansk {pink} in the Donbas.

Donbas or Donbass is a portmanteau formed from Donets Basin associated with the river Donets river in Eastern European. The river originates in Russia and flows through the Ukraineian Oblast of Kharkiv, the Donetsk Peoples Republic, the Luhansk Peoples Republic, and then again through Russian territory in Rostov to join the Don River about 60 miles above the Sea of Azov. The Donbas is an important cultural and economic region in Eastern Europe and portions considered part of Russia's near abroad.

On February 21, 2022 the Russian Federation recognized the sovereign independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk Republics.

History

Donetsk and Luhansk declared independence after the 2014 U.S.-backed Maidan coup in Kyiv that overthrew democratically-elected President Viktor Yanukovych on February 21, 2014. On the next day the Ukrainian Rada, with only opposition leaders present, ousted Yanukovych.

After anti-Russian language laws were passed by the coup government, hand-picked by Victoria Nuland of the United States, and after neo-Nazis burned dozens of people alive in a building in Odessa on May 3, 2014, both Lugansk and Donetsk declared independence nine days later on May 12.

The coup government launched a civil war against the separatists, whom they called “terrorists.” In essence the Donbass was defending their democratic rights to vote, as a majority of the region voted for Yanukovych, in an election certified by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Odessa Trade Unions House massacre

On April 16, 2014 Forbes reported Obama CIA Dir. John Brennan's visited Ukraine. Two weeks later on May 2, 2014 Ukrainian nationalists murdered at least 42 Russians most burnt alive in the Odessa Trades Union Building. The bodies were removed and buried in secret. Survivors of the fire inside the building were executed with bullets to the head. Some were beaten to death with clubs when they jumped from Windows of the burning building. A pregnant woman was strangled.

Demographics

According to the 2001 census, Russian is the main language of 74.9% of residents in the Donetsk republic and 68.8% in the Luhansk republic. About 6% are Muslim.

Economy

Donbas is dominated by heavy industry, such as coal mining and metallurgy. It is a significant supplier of coal with estimated reserves of 60 billion tonnes of coal. In March 2017, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who came to power in the Maidan coup, imposed an economic boycott on goods exported from Donetsk and Luhansk, meaning that Ukraine does not buy coal from the Donets Coal Basin.