Russian invasion of UkraineOn 24 February 2022, in an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War which began in 2014. The invasion has killed tens of thousands on both sides. Russian forces have been responsible for mass civilian casualties and for torturing captured Ukrainian soldiers. By June 2022, about 8 million Ukrainians had been internally displaced. More than 8.2 million had fled the country by May 2023, becoming Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. Extensive environmental damage, widely described as ecocide, contributed to food crises worldwide.
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.
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.
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.
Luhansk OblastLuhansk Oblast (Луганська область; Luganskaya oblast), also referred to as Luhanshchyna (Луга́нщина), is the easternmost oblast (province) of Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Luhansk. The oblast was established in 1938 and bore the name Voroshilovgrad Oblast until 1958 and again from 1970 to 1991. It has a population of Important cities in Luhansk Oblast include Alchevsk, Antratsyt, Brianka, Kadiivka, Kirovsk, Krasnodon, Krasnyi Luch, Luhansk, Lysychansk, Pervomaisk, Rovenky, Rubizhne, Sievierodonetsk and Sverdlovsk.
LuhanskLuhansk (luːˈhænsk, -ˈhɑːn-; Луганськ, lʊˈɦɑnjsjk), also known as Lugansk (-ˈɡæn-, -ˈɡɑːn-; Луганск, lʊˈɡansk), is a city in the Donbas region, eastern Ukraine. As of 2022, the population was estimated to be making Luhansk the 12th-largest city in Ukraine. Luhansk served as the administrative center of Luhansk Oblast, before pro-Russian separatists seized control of the city in 2014 and made it the capital of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic.
Kharkiv OblastKharkiv Oblast (Kharkivska oblast), also referred to as Kharkivshchyna (Харківщина), is an oblast (province) in eastern Ukraine. The oblast borders Luhansk Oblast to the east, Donetsk Oblast to the south-east, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast to the south-west, Poltava Oblast to the west, Sumy Oblast to the north-west and Russia's Belgorod Oblast to the north. The area of Kharkiv Oblast is , corresponding to 5.2% of the total territory of Ukraine. The oblast is the third-most populous province of Ukraine, with a population of 2,598,961 in 2021, more than half (1.
Dnipropetrovsk OblastDnipropetrovsk Oblast (Дніпропетровська область), also referred to as Dnipropetrovshchyna (Дніпропетро́вщина), is an oblast (province) in southeastern Ukraine, the most important industrial region of the country. It was created on February 27, 1932. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has a population of about approximately 80% of whom live centering on administrative centers: Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Kamianske, Nikopol and Pavlohrad. The Dnieper River runs through the oblast.
MariupolMariupol (UKˌmæriˈuːpɒl , USˌmɑːriˈuːpəl ; Маріу́поль mɐr(j)iˈupolj; Мариу́поль, mərjɪˈupəlj; Marioúpoli) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was the tenth-largest city in the country and the second-largest city in Donetsk Oblast, with an estimated population of 425,681 people in January 2022; afterwards, Ukrainian authorities estimate its population to be approximately 100,000.
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.