Russians in UkraineRussians are the largest ethnic minority in Ukraine. This community forms the largest single Russian community outside of Russia in the world. In the 2001 Ukrainian census, 8,334,100 identified as ethnic Russians (17.3% of the population of Ukraine); this is the combined figure for persons originating from outside of Ukraine and the Ukrainian-born population declaring Russian ethnicity. Ethnic Russians live throughout Ukraine. They comprise a notable fraction of the overall population in the east and south, a significant minority in the center, and a smaller minority in the west.
Russo-Ukrainian WarThe Russo-Ukrainian War is an ongoing international conflict between Russia, alongside Russian-backed separatists, and Ukraine, which began in February 2014. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and supported pro-Russian separatists fighting the Ukrainian military in the Donbas war. The first eight years of conflict also included naval incidents, cyberwarfare, and heightened political tensions. In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Party of RegionsThe Party of Regions (Partiia rehioniv, ˈpɑrt(j)ijɐ reɦiˈɔn(j)iu̯; Partiya regionov) is a banned pro-Russian political party in Ukraine formed in late 1997 and then grown to be the biggest party in Ukraine between 2006 and 2014. Since the Revolution of Dignity, the party has not competed in elections and members have slowly dispersed; the last election the party participated in was the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election.
Donetsk'Donetsk (UKdɒnˈjɛtsk , USdən-; Донецьк doˈnɛt͡sjk; Донецк dɐˈnjetsk), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin' and Stalino (see also: cities' alternative names), is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine located on the Kalmius River in Donetsk Oblast. The population was estimated at in the city core, with over 2 million in the metropolitan area (2011). According to the 2001 census, Donetsk was the fifth-largest city in Ukraine.
Donetsk OblastDonetsk Oblast (Donetska oblast, doˈnɛtsjkɐ ˈɔblɐsjtj), also referred to as Donechchyna (Донеччина, doˈnɛtʃːɪnɐ), is an oblast in eastern Ukraine. It is Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 million residents. Its administrative centre is Donetsk, though due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, the regional administration was moved to Kramatorsk. Historically, the region has been an important part of the Donbas region. From its creation in 1938 until November 1961, it bore the name Stalino Oblast as Donetsk was then named "Stalino", in honour of Joseph Stalin.
DonbasThe Donbas or Donbass (UKdɒnˈbɑːs, USˈdɒnbɑːs,_dVnˈbæs; Донба́с donˈbɑs; Донба́сс dɐnˈbas) is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. Parts of the Donbas are occupied by Russia as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The word Donbas is a portmanteau formed from "Donets Basin", an abbreviation of "Donets Coal Basin" (Donetskyi vuhilnyi basein; Donetskii ugolnyi bassein). The name of the coal basin is a reference to the Donets Ridge; the latter is associated with the Donets river.