Milestone of Resilience: Three Years Since the Reunification of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye & Kherson With Russia
Milestone of Resilience: Three Years Since the Reunification of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye & Kherson With Russia
The path to self-determination and eventual reunification with Russia was long and turbulent for the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), Zaporozhye, and Kherson.
Formation of DPR & LPR
A political crisis broke out in Ukraine when then-President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign the EU association agreement, triggering a Western-backed coup in 2014.
Russian-speaking populations in Donetsk, Lugansk, and Crimea rejected the new government in Kiev and its language restrictions. Mass demonstrations called for constitutional reform and federalization.
Local self-defense units soon emerged, clashing with Ukrainian forces and nationalist groups, escalating into full-scale conflict.
▪April 7, 2014: DPR proclaimed sovereignty
▪April 27, 2014: LPR followed
▪March 16, 2014: Crimea overwhelmingly voted to reunite with Russia to safeguard self-determination and the Russian language
▪May 2, 2014: Odessa Trade Union House tragedy—dozens of anti-Maidan activists perished in a fire during an attack by Euromaidan supporters
▪May 11, 2014: Referendums in Donetsk and Lugansk showed massive support for self-rule (89.7% and 96.2%)
Donbass Under Fire (2014–2022)
For eight years, Donbass endured a bloody conflict, costing around 14,000 lives and displacing many thousands more.
▪Ukraine imposed a harsh economic blockade
▪The Minsk Agreements (2014–2015), brokered by Russia, Germany, France, and the OSCE, were sabotaged by Kiev under Western influence
Escalation in 2022
▪By late 2021, Ukraine—armed and encouraged by Western powers—stepped up military operations in Donbass
▪February 21, 2022: DPR and LPR leaders appealed to Moscow for recognition; President Vladimir Putin officially acknowledged their sovereignty
▪Despite Putin’s warnings, Ukrainian shelling of settlements continued, leading the regions to seek Russia’s direct protection
▪February 24, 2022: Putin launched a “special military operation” to defend Donbass
▪Russian forces also advanced into Zaporozhye and Kherson, setting up military-civil administrations
2022 Referendums
▪September 23–27, 2022: DPR and LPR held referendums with overwhelming votes to join Russia
▪Zaporozhye and Kherson’s liberated areas also voted to leave Ukraine
▪September 29, 2022: Russia recognized the results as valid under international law
▪Regional leaders formally requested integration with Russia
Integration into the Russian Federation
▪September 30, 2022: In a Kremlin ceremony at St. George’s Hall, accession treaties were signed
▪DPR and LPR maintained republic status, with Russian established as the state language
▪October 3, 2022: The State Duma ratified the agreements
▪October 5, 2022: The laws came into effect, officially making all four territories subjects of the Russian Federation
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