98-662: The Revolution of Dignity was a 2014 revolution in Ukraine. Revolution of Dignity or Uprising of Dignity may also refer to: Revolution of Dignity [REDACTED] Maidan People's Union [REDACTED] Government of Ukraine Law enforcement in Kyiv: Pro-government/anti-EU demonstrations: Post-Minsk II conflict Attacks on civilians Related The Revolution of Dignity ( Ukrainian : Революція гідності , romanized : Revoliutsiia hidnosti ), also known as
196-486: A bridge along Instytutska Street. Throughout the day of 18 February 2014, protesters lit tires, threw and launched Molotov cocktails, bars of steel and other projectiles at lines of Berkut police. At 17:04, armed Berkut untied the wire at the Mykhaila Hrushevskoho Street barricade gate near Dynamo Stadium and penetrated with some surprise. EuroMaidan protesters were watching a drone hovering from
294-620: A building, lobbing stun grenades at the crowd and shooting, when protesters stormed the building and set part of it on fire. The protesters forced their way to the roof, forcing the police to retreat. The building on Instytutska Street was described as the scene of the day's most violent clashes. Berkut and Internal Troops servicemen opened a full-scale assault, firing directly into the crowd. There were reports of police using water cannons to break through. By mid-afternoon, police officers using tear gas drove as many as 10,000 protesters from Mariinskyi Park, where barricades had been built earlier in
392-591: A deluge of Euromaidan protesters stormed the embassy and occupied the main lobby, using the embassy as a safe haven from Berkut. The embassy was used to treat the wounded during the evening of 18 February. Euromaidan protesters later left the embassy voluntarily, leaving flowers. Unnamed European allies later asserted, that given the prolonged occupation and lack of resistance by Canadian foreign service officers, Canada played an intentional and deliberate role in enabling Euromaidan protesters. Contemporary media sources argue that Prime Minister Stephen Harper never acknowledged
490-1058: A four-month period on the territory of the Russian Federation ". Prime Minister of the DPR Alexander Zakharchenko said in August 2014 that it had not received military equipment from Russia; and that all of its military equipment was "hardware that we took from the Ukrainian military". Some injured militia members received medical care in Russia. In mid-August 2014, hospitals such as the Donetsk Central Hospital in Donetsk, Russia tended to receive between ten and twenty injured fighters daily. The Russian Emergency Ministry assisted with treatment logistics. Those questioned and registered by
588-480: A militia checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Sloviansk. Three attackers and three members of the militia were killed. On May 14, eight members of the militia seized an IMR armored vehicle from Novokramatorsky Mashinostroitelny Zavod . On May 15, the Donbas People's Militia sent an ultimatum to Kyiv. They demanded the withdrawal of all Ukrainian troops from Donetsk oblast . On May 17, several members of
686-568: A mixture of three strands of Russian nationalism : Fascist , Orthodox and Soviet . Members and former members of neo-Nazi group Russian National Unity (RNU), as well as the National Bolshevik Party and the Eurasian Youth Union , formed branches to recruit volunteers for the pro-Russia separatists. A former RNU member, Pavel Gubarev , was founder of the Donbas People's Militia and first "governor" of
784-613: A wave of large-scale protests known as "Euromaidan" began in response to President Yanukovych's decision not to sign a political association and free trade agreement with the European Union (EU), instead choosing closer ties to Russia . Euromaidan soon developed into the largest democratic mass movement in Europe since 1989. Earlier that year the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) had overwhelmingly approved finalizing
882-407: Is a great crime against the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian state." General Prosecutor of Ukraine Viktor Pshonka said: "Organisers of mass protests will be held accountable. We will demand the heaviest punishment both for those who revved people up to take part in today's action and for those who organised and controlled them." At 01:35 the next morning, street lights were switched off around
980-761: Is a higher level institution in the ideological training of cadets. People from both the DPR and LPR can enroll at the school. It prepares future command cadres in four areas: reconnaissance, tank forces, infantry, and political officers. Upon graduation, the cadets are commissioned as lieutenants. Since the fall of 2016, the Military Lyceum is affiliated to the DHCACS. The Georgy Beregovoy Military-Physical Training Lyceum ( Russian : Лицей с усиленной военно-физической подготовкой имени дважды Героя Советского Союза, летчика-космонавта СССР, генерал-лейтенанта Г.Т.Берегового )
1078-839: Is an educational facility of the People's Militia, being akin to the Suvorov Military School or the Ivan Bohun Military High School . It was established on 15 May 1993 by decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as the Donetsk Higher Military-Political School of Engineering and Signal Corps. From 1993 to 2000, the Lyceum was with a three-year form of study. Over two decades, 2,793 graduates graduated from
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#17327654681571176-799: The 8th Combined Arms Army , which has been recreated for this specific task since 2017. In February 2022, the UK defence ministry and the Institute for the Study of War reported that the Russian Armed Forces had officially extended the Russian Southern Military District into parts of Ukraine as part of integrating the DPR and LPR people's militias into Russian forces. In April 2023, Russia granted combat veteran status to separatist militants who had fought in
1274-789: The Azov Battalion ". Far-right nationalists from other countries have also fought for the Russian separatists, such as the Hungarian nationalist 'Legion of Saint Stephen', the Bulgarian nationalist 'Orthodox Dawn' and the Serbian Chetnik 'Jovan Šević Detachment', as well as members of Serbian Action . According to the Italian newspaper la Repubblica , well-known Italian neo-fascist Andrea Palmeri (former member of
1372-713: The Maidan Revolution or the Ukrainian Revolution , took place in Ukraine in February 2014 at the end of the Euromaidan protests, when deadly clashes between protesters and state forces in the capital Kyiv culminated in the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych , the return to the 2004 Constitution of Ukraine , and the outbreak of the 2014 Russo-Ukrainian War . In November 2013,
1470-641: The Maidan square to protest against the turn. The rallies were initially peaceful but became violent in January 2014 after parliament, dominated by Yanukovych's supporters, passed laws intended to repress the protests. The European Union and the United States urged Yanukovych to negotiate a peaceful end to the conflict and said they would impose sanctions on government officials if they were found responsible for violence. In mid-February, an amnesty agreement
1568-782: The People's Militias of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), were pro-Russian paramilitaries in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. They were under the overall control of the Russian Federation . They were also referred to as Russian proxy forces . They were active during the war in Donbas (2014–2022), the first stage of the Russo-Ukrainian War . They then supported
1666-558: The Russian Armed Forces against the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the 2022 Russian invasion . In September 2022, Russia annexed the DPR and LPR, and began integrating the paramilitaries into its armed forces. They are designated as terrorist groups by the government of Ukraine . The separatist paramilitaries were formed during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine . The Donbas People's Militia
1764-552: The Russian Ground Forces , part of a long-term effort to integrate various irregular forces. On February 19, the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Militias were formally integrated into the command structure of the Russian Armed Forces. The militias consist of different armed groups, sworn to the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic . Militant groups which refused to do so were disarmed as gangs in
1862-464: The Ukrainian crisis . However, they were also seen with weapons that were not known to have been exported to Ukraine, or otherwise be available there, including some of the latest models of Russian military equipment, never exported outside Russia. According to the Donetsk People's Republic , all of its military equipment is "hardware that we took from the Ukrainian military". However, according to
1960-544: The " cannon fodder " of the Russian forces; by November 2022 the casualty rate of the separatist units was almost 50%, according to official separatist sources. On 3 March 2014, during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine , groups of protesters took control of the regional administration building in Donetsk . An armed opposition group named the Donbas People's Militia, led by Pavel Gubarev , participated. This happened when 11 Ukrainian cities with significant populations of ethnic Russians erupted in demonstrations against
2058-418: The "peace offensive", which student unions had agreed to join as well. The Maidan Union reported on the morning of 18 February that columns of protesters would begin a march on parliament at 08:30. That morning, around 20,000 demonstrators marched on the parliament building as that body was set to consider opposition demands for a new constitution and government. Around 09:45, the demonstrators broke through
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#17327654681572156-404: The 'Maidan Uprising'. In January and February 2014, clashes between protesters and Berkut special riot police resulted in the deaths of 108 protesters and 13 police officers , and the wounding of many others. The first protesters were killed in fierce clashes with police on Hrushevsky Street on 19–22 January. Following this, protesters occupied government buildings throughout the country, and
2254-482: The (Russian) Federal Security Service and treated in Russia during this period stated that they would not return to Ukraine if the Ukrainian army won the Russo-Ukrainian War , but would, instead, engage in a partisan warfare campaign in Eastern Ukraine . According to various sources, the troops of the separatists forces are under direct control of officers of the Russian Armed Forces . Specifically
2352-691: The 1st Corps, called the "People's Militia of the DNR" and the 2nd Corps, called "People's Militia of the LNR". On 28 December 2018 commander of the Ukrainian Navy Ihor Voronchenko claimed that the DPR had created a flotilla stationed at Novoazovsk , made up of about 25 converted fishing boats. According to Voronchenko, the DPR had named this flotilla the "9th Regiment of the Marine Corps". [REDACTED] People's Militia of
2450-838: The 2004 Constitution , which had been repealed by the Constitutional Court after Yanukovych was elected president. The Berkut blocked their path. The confrontation turned violent. BBC correspondents reported that each side blamed the other. The security forces fired guns, including automatic weapons and sniper rifles, loaded with both rubber bullets and, later, live ammunition, while also using tear gas and flash grenades to repel thousands of demonstrators. The protesters fought with rocks and bats, Molotov cocktails , and firearms, and broke into Party of Regions headquarters. Eleven protesters were killed or fatally wounded; three were shot dead by police, eight died of other injuries. Four police officers were also shot and killed. On
2548-564: The Azarov government resigned. The deadliest clashes were on 18–20 February, which saw the most severe violence in Ukraine since it regained independence. Thousands of protesters advanced towards parliament, led by activists with shields and helmets, who were fired on by police snipers. On 21 February, Yanukovych and the parliamentary opposition signed an agreement to bring about an interim unity government, constitutional reforms and early elections. Police abandoned central Kyiv that afternoon and
2646-549: The Berkut away from the Maidan and back up Instytutska Street . The Berkut fired indiscriminately on the protesters from ground level, while snipers fired on protesters from above. By midday, 48 protesters had been shot dead on Instytutska Street, as had two other Berkut officers. In response, the chairman of the Ukrainian parliament (equivalent to the office of speaker in other countries' parliaments), Volodymyr Rybak , announced
2744-483: The Canadian embassy. On the same day, a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson acknowledged that protesters had taken "shelter" and were "peaceful and have not caused any damage or harm to staff." In 2015, it was revealed that the embassy had deliberately opened its gates after spotting a Canadian passport-wielding Euromaidan protester being chased by Berkut. Upon entry of the unknown passport-wielding Euromaidan protester,
2842-541: The DNR and LNR People's Militias became the 1st Army Corps and 2nd Army Corps of the United Armed Forces of Novorossiya ( Russian : Объединённые Вооруженные Силы Новороссии ; acronym NAF), which was to be the army of the proposed Novorossiya (New Russia) political union. Lieutenant General Ivan Korsun became its commander-in-chief . The Novorossiya project was suspended in May 2015 due to infighting, but
2940-702: The DPR. Other groups are autonomous forces. According to Ukrainskyi Tyzhden , a Donetsk Operative Command set up in May 2016 by Russia coordinates the military efforts of the Donetsk People's Republic. The tank battalions they claim Russia can deploy include the DPR Diesel Battalion, and LPR August Battalion. Euromaidan Press reported in September 2018 that the United Armed Forces of Novorossiya comprised two army corps :
3038-478: The Donbas People's Militia seized government buildings in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk , and set up checkpoints and barricades. The same day, former members of the Donetsk " Berkut " unit joined the ranks of the Donbas People's Militia. On 13 April, the newly established Ukrainian government gave the separatists a deadline to disarm or face a "full-scale anti-terrorist campaign" in the region. Later that day,
Revolution of Dignity (disambiguation) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3136-541: The Donbas war since 2014. A 2016 report by the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) noted that Russian ethnic and imperialist nationalism has shaped the official ideology of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. During the war in Donbas , especially at the beginning, far-right groups played an important role on the pro-Russian side, arguably more so than on the Ukrainian side. According to Marlène Laruelle , separatists in Donbas espoused
3234-465: The Donetsk People's Republic ( Russian : Народная милиция Донецкой Народной Республики , lit. 'People's Militia of the Donetsk People's Republic'), or 1st Army Corps (DPR) – Formed on 14 November 2014. [REDACTED] People's Militia of the Luhansk People's Republic ( Russian : Народная милиция Луганской Народной Республики , lit. 'People's Militia of
3332-637: The Donetsk People's Republic. RNU is particularly linked to the Russian Orthodox Army , one of a number of separatist units described as "pro-Tsarist" and "extremist Orthodox" nationalists. In June 2014, the Russian Orthodox Army was accused of murdering four Pentecostals in Sloviansk . The men were accused of spying for the Ukrainian government, but the case has been cited as part of a policy of religious persecution by
3430-426: The Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republic started a process of mass mobilization of its population in order to build an army for the Russian invasion. As there weren't enough volunteers in the separatist army, and the Russian government wasn't willing to start mobilization of its own population, men from ages 18 until 65 from any background were conscripted to form the separatist army. Groups of DPR/LPR officers roamed
3528-588: The EU demanded major changes to Ukraine's regulations and laws, but Russia did not stipulate regulatory or legal adjustment of such nature or scale. Russia also applied economic pressure on Ukraine and launched a propaganda campaign against the EU deal. Yanukovych's decision meant the country was turning towards the Russia-proposed Eurasian Economic Union , which was more popular in Ukraine's East. Western-oriented Ukrainians went to
3626-462: The Federal State of Novorossiya announced the termination of the confederation 'project' but the United Armed Forces was retained as the joint armed service of the DPR and LPR. The Ukrainian government in mid-2015 claimed there were about 42,500 fighters on the separatists' side, which include 9,000 Russian soldiers. During the prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine ,
3724-399: The Luhansk People's Republic'), or 2nd Lugansk-Severodonetsk Guards Army Corps (LPR) – Formed on 7 October 2014. Donetsk People's Republic Luhansk People's Republic [REDACTED] Donetsk People's Republic [REDACTED] Luhansk People's Republic According to Armament Research Services (ARES), the rebels mostly used equipment that was available domestically before
3822-495: The Maidan headquarters. Another protester and a journalist were killed by titushky (government loyalists). The five police officers died from gunshot wounds. Political commentators suggested that Ukraine was on the brink of a civil war. Some areas, including Lviv Oblast , declared themselves politically independent of the central government. In protest at the deaths of civilians, Maidan activists began occupying regional state administration (RSA) buildings . On 19 February,
3920-474: The Russian Armed Forces. Ukraine, the United States, and some analysts deemed them to be under the command of Russia's 8th Combined Arms Army . Although the Russian government often denied direct involvement, evidence suggested otherwise. The separatists admitted receiving weaponry and supplies from Russia, being trained there, and having thousands of Russian citizens in their ranks. By September 2015,
4018-611: The Ukrainian government and the United States Department of State the Donbas People's Militia has received military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers. Russia denied supplying weapons and described the Russian citizens fighting with the Donbas People's Militia as volunteers. The Donetsk People's Republic claimed on 16 August 2014 that it had received (together with 30 tanks and 120 other armoured vehicles of undisclosed origin) 1,200 "individuals who have gone through training over
Revolution of Dignity (disambiguation) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4116-401: The Ukrainian government and the United States Department of State , this is a false. They claim the separatists have received military equipment from Russia , including multiple rocket launch systems and tanks. Although Russian officials deny supplying arms to the militia. In August 2014 Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey said the proof for the weapons supply from Russia was that
4214-552: The acting chief of the Security Service of Ukraine, Oleksandr Yakymenko , and acting Interior Minister Zakharchenko issued a public warning to protesters to clear the streets within two hours, saying, "If by 18:00 the lawlessness doesn't cease, we shall be forced to use all legal means to bring order." At the October Palace, visible from Independence Square, riot police threw bricks down the hill at protesters from
4312-695: The agreement, thousands continued to protest in central Kyiv, and the security forces withdrew, leaving demonstrators in control of the city's government district: the parliament building, the president's administration quarters, the cabinet, and the Interior Ministry. The evening, Yanukovych secretly fled the capital, without informing parliament of his whereabouts. On 22 February, parliament voted 328–0 in favour of removing Yanukovych from office and scheduled new presidential elections for 25 May. Parliament named its chairman, Oleksandr Turchynov , as interim president. An arrest warrant for Yanukovych
4410-536: The agreement; Russia had pressured Ukraine to reject it. The scope of the protests widened, with calls for the resignation of Yanukovych and the Azarov government . Protesters opposed what they saw as widespread government corruption and abuse of power , the influence of Russia and oligarchs , police brutality , human rights violations , and repressive anti-protest laws . A large, barricaded protest camp occupied Independence Square in central Kyiv throughout
4508-560: The anti-government demonstrations in Kyiv ended abruptly on 18 February 2014, when deadly clashes broke out between protesters and riot police (known as the Berkut militsiya ). At least 82 people were killed over the next two days, including 13 policemen. More than 1,100 people were injured. On 18 February, some 20,000 Maidan protesters marched from Independence Square towards the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) in support of restoring
4606-558: The areas seized by the militia. On 16 April, the militia entered Sloviansk with six BMD airborne amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicles they had obtained from elements of the 25th Airborne Brigade who had switched allegiance. A Ukrainian military column was disarmed after the vehicles were blockaded by locals in Kramatorsk. The militia also received a 2S9 "Nona-S" self-propelled 120 mm mortar. On April 20, an unidentified armed group in civilian clothes attacked
4704-427: The armed police officers in black with yellow armbands were part of a Berkut unit that had been deployed to help evacuate the interior troops. Protesters re-occupied City Hall. At 15:45, hundreds of riot police officers advanced toward Maidan, attacking protesters. An officer grabbed the gas mask of a Kyiv Post journalist on Instytutska Street and said of the police advance: "I love it! We love it!" At 16:00,
4802-547: The association agreement with the EU at a meeting of the Eastern Partnership in Vilnius, Lithuania , choosing closer ties with Russia instead. Prime Minister Mykola Azarov had asked for €20 billion (US$ 27 billion) in loans and aid. The EU was willing to offer €610 million ($ 838 million) in loans, but Russia was willing to offer $ 15 billion, as well as cheaper gas prices. In addition,
4900-853: The banned Russian neo-nazi group Slavic Union and the Movement Against Illegal Immigration . Another Russian separatist paramilitary unit, the Interbrigades , is made up of activists from the National Bolshevik (Nazbol) group Other Russia . An article in Dissent noted that "despite their neo-Stalinist paraphernalia, many of the Russian-speaking nationalists Russia supports in the Donbass are just as right-wing as their counterparts from
4998-403: The basic foundation of democracy. The line had been crossed when they called people to arms." On 18 February, three opposition parties ( Batkivshchyna , UDAR , and Svoboda ) said in a statement: "We never have and never will call people to arms. This is our principled position. The death of each person is a personal tragedy for each of us." Later that day, the parties said, "To hold talks with
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#17327654681575096-457: The column neared the parliament building at 10:08, it met resistance from another cordon of police officers. There were reports that the number of protesters had swelled to 50,000. At 10:18, according to other reports, explosions and smoke were seen on Instytutska Street as people started to tear up roadway paving blocks . Protesters started to throw the pavement blocks at the police, while officers defending themselves with shields tried to subdue
5194-505: The crowd with stun grenades. Protesters who had barricaded themselves near the Dynamo Stadium colonnade began setting fire to tires. At about 10:30, parliament was set to vote on whether to restore the 2004 constitution. However, it did not happen as Chairman Rybak did not register the bill. At 10:33, the street fights between protesters and the police shifted to Shovkovychna Street. Protesters started to wave ₴ 200 banknotes in
5292-483: The crowd, but the protesters attacked back. Two minutes later, the first report came that protesters were breaking down the doors of the Party of Regions headquarters on Lypska Street. At 11:30, protesters—including the journalist Tetyana Chornovol —sacked and set fire to the building. Two persons died as a result, including a programmer who worked at the headquarters. At 12:12, Minister of Healthcare Raisa Bohatyriova
5390-424: The day. Demonstrators threw stun grenades, filling the park with smoke. Other anti-government activists tried to keep the pro-government and anti-government forces apart. Multiple news outlets published photographs showing the police armed with AK-74 assault rifles. Former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Hennadiy Moskal speculated that they were Alpha Group units. A Berkut leader, Vladimir Krashevsky, said
5488-481: The downing of a civilian airliner, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 , on 17 July 2014. On August 8, the militia claimed that after battles near the Russian border, they had captured 67 pieces of equipment in varying conditions (serviceable equipment lacking ammunition or fuel, with faults, damaged in battle and completely unusable), including 18 "Grad" multiple rocket launching systems, 15 tanks and armored personnel carriers , howitzers , MANPADS , etc. As of August 12,
5586-551: The early Cold War -era T-62 tanks. By November, the DPR ombudsman reported that the DPR militia suffered almost 20,000 casualties (both wounded in action and killed in action ), translating into a staggering 50% casualty rate, with outside observers believing it could possibly be higher. The mass conscription has been considered a war crime by some, as the Article 51 of the Fourth Geneva Convention bans
5684-405: The evening on 18 February and into the early hours of 19 February, the security forces launched an operation to clear Independence Square, and stormed the main protest camp. Clashes broke out, resulting in the deaths of seventeen protesters and five riot police. Most of the protesters were shot dead by police. Two others died when riot police set the Trade Unions Building on fire, which served as
5782-438: The face of some of Yanukovych's police forces—saying that they were mercenaries—in Mariinskyi Park . An activist, Oleksandr Aronets, reported that snipers were targeting civilians. By 11:00, protesters had sustained serious wounds. Molotov cocktails were thrown by the protesters, and on Shovkovnycha Street, a barricade of dump trucks was set on fire. At 11:23, the Berkut special police forces tried to launch an assault on
5880-418: The far-right New Force party) has been fighting for the Donetsk People's Republic since 2014 and was praised by its leader Gubarev as a "real fascist". Professor Anton Shekhovtsov , an expert on far-right movements in Russia and abroad, reported in 2014 that members of Polish neo-fascist group "Falanga" and Italian far-right group "Millennium" had joined the Donbas separatists. French Eurasianists , notably
5978-512: The far-right organization "Continental Unity", have also been accused of recruiting far-right extremists across Europe to fight for the Donbas separatists. Swedish and Finnish far-right groups, such as the " Power Belongs to the People " party, reportedly recruited volunteers to fight for the separatists, while members of the neo-Nazi " Nordic Resistance Movement " were seen attending paramilitary training in Russia. Other far-right foreign fighters from Europe and North America have fought alongside
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#17327654681576076-829: The fighters of the Donbas People's Militia were using Russian-made weapons never used (or bought) by the Ukrainian army . Such exclusively Russian equipment seen with pro-Russian separatists includes Russian modifications of T-72 tanks (particularly T-72B3 and T-72BA seen destroyed in Ukraine ), BTR-82 AM infantry fighting vehicle (adopted in Russia in 2013), BPM-97 armored personnel carriers, sophisticated anti-aircraft system Pantsir-S1 , multipurpose vehicle GAZ Vodnik (adopted in Russia in 2005), Russian modifications of MT-LB , rocket-propelled flamethrower MRO-A , anti-tank missile Kornet , anti-materiel rifle ASVK , suppressed sniper rifle VSS Vintorez and others. The Donetsk Higher Combined Arms Command School ( Russian : Донецкого высшего общевойскового командного училища )
6174-420: The first reports came in of fighting between the people's militia and Ukrainian troops near Sloviansk, with casualties on both sides. On 14 April, members of the Donbas People's Militia blocked Ukrainian military KrAZ trucks armed with Grad missiles from entering the city. On 15 April, a full scale " Anti-Terrorist Operation " was launched by the Ukrainian government with aim of restoring their authority over
6272-414: The forceful conscription of soldiers from occupied territory, but Russian authorities claimed they are part of the independent sovereign nations of the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic . After the leaders of the Russian proxy republics signed treaties of annexation with the Russian president on September 30, 2022, the Russian State Duma approved legislation on October 3 mandating
6370-438: The independent states of Donetsk and Luhansk , sparking the Donbas war . The Ukrainian parliament restored the 2004 amendments to the Ukrainian constitution . An interim government , led by Arseniy Yatsenyuk , signed the EU association agreement and disbanded the Berkut. Petro Poroshenko became president after winning the 2014 presidential elections . The new government began a removal of civil servants associated with
6468-409: The institution, more than 1,000 of them currently serve in officer posts in various power structures of Ukraine . It was renamed and converted in 2014; since then more than 300 students have graduated. The school is open to boys between 14 and 16 years old, many of whom come from military families. The cadets live at the school six days a week. The conclusion of the Dutch criminal investigation into
6566-508: The integration of the "people's militias" into the Russian military, backdated to the date of annexation. Upon the "annexation" of Ukrainian territories in September 2022, Russian occupation officials began forcibly conscripting Ukrainian men in occupied parts of Kherson oblast, and were reportedly ready to mobilize 3,000 in occupied Zaporizhzhia oblast. On 31 December 2022, Putin visited the Southern Military District headquarters in Rostov-on-Don to present battle colours to representatives of
6664-447: The latter being Ukraine's biggest trade partner at the time. Yanukovych believed that the complications could be addressed, and he said that he intended to enter the agreement, but continued to postpone. This was interpreted as an attempt to back out of signing this agreement, and led to a wave of protests which came to be known as the " Euromaidan " movement. Protests originally erupted in November 2013 after Yanukovych refused to sign
6762-485: The militia had at least 200 armored vehicles. July and early August were disastrous for the militias, with many analysts saying they were on the verge of defeat, before a sudden counteroffensive, which the Ukrainian government said was supported by Russian troops, encircled thousands of Ukrainian troops and forced them into a retreat. The militias soon re-captured several strategic positions such as Savur-Mohyla and Luhansk International Airport . In September 2014,
6860-457: The militia seized two BRDM unarmed armored vehicles from Severodonetsk and Lysychansk ( Luhansk Oblast ) On May 22, the Federal State of Novorossiya was declared. On May 23, several members of the people's militia seized another BRDM-RKh unarmed armored vehicle from Loskutovka ( Luhansk Oblast ) In July 2014, the estimated manpower of the separatists was around 10,000–20,000. The militia were widely suspected to have been involved in
6958-422: The militias and a command academy in Donetsk, referring to them as the 1st Donetsk Army Corps and 2nd Guards Luhansk-Sievierodonetsk Army Corps . In January 2023 the Russian defence ministry announced that "self-sufficient force groupings" would be established in Ukraine, and in February that four Russian-claimed oblasts in southeastern Ukraine were placed under command of the Southern Military District of
7056-473: The most influential far-right Russian separatists are neo-imperialists , who seek to revive the Russian Empire . These included Igor 'Strelkov' Girkin , first "minister of defence" of the Donetsk People's Republic, who espouses Russian neo-imperialism and ethno-nationalism. The Russian Imperial Movement , a white supremacist militant group, has trained and recruited thousands of volunteers to join
7154-631: The new Ukrainian government. On 6 April 2014, 2,000 pro-Russian protesters rallied outside the regional administration building. On the same day, groups of protesters in Eastern Ukraine stormed the regional administration building in Kharkiv , and the SBU headquarters in Luhansk . The groups created a people's council and demanded a referendum like the one held in Crimea. On 12 April, armed members of
7252-552: The next day that he had signed a parliamentary decree condemning the use of force and urging all institutions such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs to cease immediately all military actions against protesters. Parliament also suspended Zakharchenko from his duties. On 21 February, President Yanukovych signed an agreement with opposition leaders . It promised constitutional changes to restore certain powers to parliament and called for early elections to be held by December. Despite
7350-513: The opposite direction, with their backs turned to the police. Hundreds of Berkut began throwing grenades, two of which injured U.S. photographer Mark Estabrook and countless others while discharging their pistols and shotguns. Euromaidan protesters and civilians began a mass retreat toward the next gate in a barricade on Khreschatyk Street. There were many injuries and several deaths. At 20:00, pro-Russian sources had reported that 50 unknown or presumably pro-Russian assailants were trying to break into
7448-457: The opposition force the protesters to leave Maidan Nezalezhnosti . He reportedly threatened opposition leaders with criminal prosecution. In a message on Ukrainian television , Yanukovych told the opposition leaders, "Separate yourself from the radical elements that seek bloodshed and conflict with law enforcement agencies," and said that if they did not do so, he would "talk differently" with them. He added: "The opposition leaders have ignored
7546-527: The overthrown regime. There was also widespread decommunization and de-Sovietization of the country . Successive Ukrainian governments in the 2000s sought a closer relationship with the European Union (EU). The government of President Viktor Yanukovych had been negotiating an association agreement with the European Union since 2012. Such a comprehensive trade agreement with the EU would have impacted Ukraine's trade agreements with Russia,
7644-571: The police barricade of several personnel-transport trucks near the building of the Central Officers' Club of Ukraine and pushed the cordon of police aside. The clashes started after some two dozen demonstrators moved a police vehicle blocking their path to parliament. At 10:00, a member of parliament representing Batkivshchyna, Lesya Orobets , reported that police armed with Fort-500T shotguns had begun to attack with flash and stun grenades from Shovkovychna Street and Lypska Street. As
7742-427: The police to retreat 200 meters up Instytutska Street and urged both sides to call a truce until morning. Protesters on the square stacked tires and other burning debris to create a wall of fire between themselves and security forces. The TV channel 5 Kanal 's broadcast was shut down countrywide but remained available via satellite (with a brief interruption) and a live feed on YouTube. At approximately 22:00, it
7840-464: The pro-Russian separatists in Donbas, including white nationalists, neo-Nazis, neo-fascists and Christian nationalists . Motivations for these fighters have included the belief that they are fighting America and Western interests and that Vladimir Putin is a bulwark for "traditional white European values" who they must support against the "decadent West". In April 2022, a video posted on Donetsk People's Republic's website showed Denis Pushilin awarding
7938-564: The protesters took control. Yanukovych fled the city that evening. The next day, 22 February, the Ukrainian parliament voted to remove Yanukovych from office by 328 to 0 (about 73% of the parliament's 450 members). Yanukovych claimed this vote was illegal and asked Russia for help. Russian propaganda described the events as a " coup ". Pro-Russian, counter-revolutionary protests erupted in southern and eastern Ukraine. Russia occupied and then annexed Crimea , while armed pro-Russian separatists seized government buildings and proclaimed
8036-632: The regime, the policies of which led to the deaths of many people, is an extremely unpleasant thing, but we must do everything possible and even the impossible to prevent further bloodshed." They said that dissolving the protests would be "counterproductive and unrealistic" and stated: "It was not we who brought Maidan together, and it is not for us to disperse it! People will decide themselves what to do depending on when and how their demands are satisfied." Russian people%27s militias in Ukraine Russian separatist forces in Ukraine , primarily
8134-516: The security forces set up checkpoints and announced restrictions on public transport and school closures in Kyiv, which the media referred to as a de facto state of emergency . On 20 February, Internal Affairs Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko announced that he had authorised the use of live ammunition against protesters. On the morning of 20 February, riot police massed at the edge of Independence Square. Clashes broke out, and two Berkut officers were shot dead. At around 9am, protesters tried to push
8232-448: The separatist units, at the battalion level and up, were acting under the command of Russian Army officers. In 2023, Russia acknowledged separatists who fought in the Donbas war as being eligible to receive Russian combat veteran status. Although called " militias ", shortly before the 2022 Russian invasion, the separatist republics began forced conscription of men to fight for Russia. The Donbas conscripts have been described as
8330-578: The separatists through its 'Russian Imperial Legion'. Some separatists have flown the black-yellow-white Russian imperial flag, such as the Sparta Battalion and the (now disbanded) 'Ratibor' unit. In 2014, volunteers from the National Liberation Movement joined the Donetsk People's Militia bearing portraits of Tsar Nicholas II . Other Russian nationalist volunteers involved in separatist militias included members of
8428-513: The separatists, and many far-right activists joined them and formed volunteer units. The Russian separatists have been held responsible for war crimes , among them the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and the Mariupol rocket attacks , which they have denied. The militias were also responsible for illegal abductions, detention, and torture of civilians of the Donbas. The separatist paramilitaries were supported by, and were proxies of,
8526-509: The separatists. Openly Neo-Nazi units such as ' Rusich ', 'Varyag' and 'Svarozhich' fought as part of the Russian paramilitaries from early 2014 and used Slavic swastikas on their badges, although some, such as 'Varyag', have since been disbanded. 'Rusich' is led by self-proclaimed neo-Nazi Alexey Milchakov and is part of the Wagner Group , a Russian private military company which has been linked to far-right extremism. Some of
8624-491: The shootdown of MH17 was that the "Russian Federation exercised overall control over the DPR", referring to vast evidence of frequent contacts between the DPR and LPR officials, and the Russian presidential administration, as well as the heads of the Russian military and FSB. As the conflict intensified, the Donbas People's Militia was bolstered with many volunteers from the former Soviet Union, mainly Russia ; including fighters from Chechnya and North Ossetia . According to
8722-429: The square. The activists believed that this heralded the beginning of a decisive assault. Emerging from a meeting with President Yanukovych, opposition leader Vitali Klitschko told Hromadske TV that the talks had not been successful. Klitschko said that opposition leaders had listened for more than an hour to Yanukovych's claims that they were to blame for the 20 deaths on 18 February. The president also demanded that
8820-770: The streets searching for men at the age range, arresting and sending to conscription offices any they found. In some regions, up to 80% of employees of local enterprises were called up, which led to the shutdown of mines (the main source of employment in the Donbas) and public transport, resulting in the paralysis of city and public services. Most of the Donbas conscripts are unexperienced, received little-to-no training and were badly equipped, and suffered from morale issues and heavy casualties. The role of Donbas conscripts by Russian forces has been described as " cannon fodder ". There were reports of conscipts being issued antiquated equipment such as World War I -era Mosin–Nagant rifles and
8918-454: The true extent of the security breach. Following the warning, the police advanced on thousands of protesters on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) with guns, a water cannon, and an armored personnel carrier. Tents housing protesters were burned in the main square. The police justified their actions as part of an anti-terror campaign against "individuals who had clearly armed themselves". Opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk called on
9016-460: The two separatist armies would still operate in an unified manner. On 2 February 2015, Head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko , announced that there would be a general mobilization in the DPR of 10,000 volunteers, and he aimed to eventually expand the NAF to 100,000 soldiers. In March 2015, the estimated manpower of the separatists rose to 30,000–35,000 personnel. On 20 May 2015 the leadership of
9114-526: Was attacked by protesters as she left Mariinskyi Park , but she escaped unharmed. By 12:30, the police had regained control of the Party of Regions office. By 13:00, thousands of police officers had encircled the government district and begun chasing down protesters. One protester with a head wound told the Kyiv Post that charging police officers had "smashed everybody" in their path. Around 13:30, four officers on Instytutska Street were stationed atop
9212-736: Was formed in March 2014 by Pavel Gubarev , who proclaimed himself "People's Governor" of Donetsk Oblast , while the Army of the South-East was formed in Luhansk Oblast . The Donbas war began in April 2014 after these groups seized Ukrainian government buildings in the Donbas, leading the Ukrainian military to launch its Anti-Terrorist Operation against them. During the Donbas war, Russian far-right groups were heavily involved in recruiting for
9310-655: Was incited, and I'm incited to use various methods and ways how to settle the situation, but I want to say I don't want to be at war. I don't want any decisions made using such a radical way." He called on all politicians to refrain from radicalism and to understand that "there is a line that shouldn't be crossed, and this line is law". The protests that began on the night of 21 November 2013 in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv were still ongoing by mid-February 2014. A period of relative calm in
9408-529: Was issued by the new government on 24 February. Over the next few days, Russian nationalist politicians and activists organised rallies in Crimea and urged the Russian government to help defend the region from advancing "fascists" from the rest of Ukraine. The night before the clashes, Right Sector called on all of its members to ready themselves for a "peace offensive" on 18 February. The Maidan People's Union also urged all concerned citizens to take part in
9506-576: Was made with protesters under which they would be spared criminal charges in exchange for leaving occupied buildings. The demonstrators vacated all occupied Regional State Administration buildings , and activists in Kyiv left the Hrushevskoho Street standoff ; Kyiv's City Hall was also released back to government control on 16 February. All those previously jailed for taking part in protests were scheduled to be released after 17 February. On 14 February, Yanukovych said: "I want to say that I
9604-406: Was reported that the police had broken through the protesters' barricades on the eastern side of the square. Officers then tried to retake the occupied Trade Unions building but failed. Presidential adviser Hanna Herman said that negotiations between the government and the opposition would not happen until peace was restored and the crowds retreated, and that "calling further for armed conflict
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