Redigerer Krigen i Donbas (avsnitt)

== Hendelser ==

9. mars 2014 leste Aleksandr Kharitonov i et folkemøte opp en erklæring som han hevdet var underskrevet av guvernøren i Luhansk, Mykhailo Bolotskykh, om at Bolotskykh skulle ha trukket seg som guvernør.  Russiske flagg ble brukt og folkemengden sang den russiske nasjonalsangen.  

Den 12. april 2014 tok en gruppe maskerte menn under ledelse av Igor Girkin, oberst i russiske FSB, kontroll over rådhuset, politistasjonen og SBU-bygningen i Slovjansk.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bidder |first=Benjamin |title=Russian Far-Right Idol: The Man Who Started the War in Ukraine |work=Der Spiegel |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/the-ukraine-war-from-perspective-of-russian-nationalists-a-1023801.html |access-date=27 August 2015 |quote=But his big moment would only come later. In April 2014, Strelkov, joined by armed irregulars from Russia, marched from Crimea to the provincial city of Sloviansk, which is strategically located between the population centers of Donetsk and Kharkiv. "In the beginning, nobody there wanted to fight," Strelkov recalls. He and his men attacked a police station in Sloviansk and created facts on the ground.}}</ref>  Han har senere hevdet at uten hans innsats ville det ikke ha blitt noen krig om Donbas.<ref>[https://khpg.org/en/1608809608 «Russian who brought war to Donbas admits it has turned into “a dump” worse than Ukraine or Russia»],  Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, 11. oktober 2021</ref>

Angriperne opprettet det de kalte "Donetsk folkerepublikk" og "Luhansk folkerepublikk" i de okkuperte områdene, ledet av henholdsvis 

Angriperene ble forsynt med stridsvogner og andre våpen med tog fra Russland.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-tanks-idUSKBN0EN1KS20140612 «Ukraine accuses Russia of letting rebels bring in tanks»], Reuters, 12. juni 2014</ref>

Fra midten av juli til september 2014 ble Donbas bombardert av artilleri fra stillinger inne i Russland.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Ukrainian Troops Were Likely Shelled from Russian MRLS Tornado in Zelenopillia|url = http://en.censor.net.ua/news/293840/ukrainian_troops_were_likely_shelled_from_russian_mrls_tornado_in_zelenopillia|website = EN.Censor.net|access-date = 2016-01-29|language = en-EN|last = Censor.NET}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.unian.ua/politics/939160-soldati-v-zelenopilli-zaginuli-vid-novitnogo-rosiyskogo-tornado-g-zmi.html|title=Солдати в Зеленопіллі загинули від новітнього російського "Торнадо-Г" - ЗМІ|access-date=2017-01-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Babiak|first1=Mat|title=Provallia in flames, details on Russian rocket strike|url=http://euromaidanpress.com/2014/07/17/provallia-in-flames-details-on-russian-rocket-strike/|access-date=28 August 2014|publisher=[[Euromaidan Press]]|date=17. juli 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Videos Reportedly Show GRAD Rockets Fired From Inside Russia|url=https://pressimus.com/Interpreter_Mag/press/3365|access-date=28 August 2014|publisher=Pressimus|date=17. august 2014|accessdate=31. mai 2023|archivedate=25. februar 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225050155/https://pressimus.com/Interpreter_Mag/press/3365|url-status=yes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2015/02/17/origin-of-artillery-attacks/|title=Bellingcat Report - Origin of Artillery Attacks on Ukrainian Military Positions in Eastern Ukraine Between 14 July 2014 and 8 August 2014 - bellingcat|date=2015-02-17|newspaper=bellingcat|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-24}}</ref><ref name="foxnews">{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/07/24/obama-administration-russia-firing-artillery-at-ukraine-military-targets/|title=Obama administration: Russia firing artillery at Ukraine military targets &#124; Fox News|publisher=foxnews.com|access-date=14 September 2014|date=24. juli 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Frizell|first1=Sam|title=U.S.: Satellite Imagery Shows Russians Shelling Eastern Ukraine|url=http://time.com/3042640/satellite-russian-ukraine-shelling/|publisher=TIME|quote="Satellite imagery shows evidence of Russian artillery attacks against the Ukrainian military, U.S. officials say"|date=27. juli 2014}}</ref> 
Russland benektet dette.<ref name="wsj">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-says-russia-firing-across-border-into-ukraine-1406231618|title=U.S. Says Russia Firing Across Border into Ukraine&nbsp;— WSJ|publisher=online.wsj.com|access-date=14 September 2014|first1=Julian E.|last1=Barnes|first2=William|last2=Mauldin|date=25. juli 2014}}</ref>  28. juli publiserte USA satellittfotografier som viste at artilleri plassert i Russland bombarderte ukrainske posisjoner.<ref name="Shelling from inside Russia">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/us-photos-show-russia-fired-into-ukraine/|title=US: Photos show Russia fired into Ukraine – Videos – CBS News|publisher=cbsnews.com|date=28. juli 2014|access-date=14 September 2014}}</ref>

17. desember 2015 innrømmet Putin for første gang at det var russiske styrker i Donbas, men han hevdet at de ikke var "ordinære" styrker; han hevdet at de i stedet var "militære spesialister".<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/vladimir-putin/12054164/Vladimir-Putins-annual-press-conference-2015-live.html «Vladimir Putin admits: Russian troops 'were in Ukraine'»], The Telegraph, 17. desember 2015</ref>