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87-476: Starting mid-April 2014 pro-Russian separatists captured several towns and cities across in Donetsk and Luhansk Districts ; including Yasynuvata. On 17 August 2014, Ukrainian forces reportedly took the city from the pro-Russian separatists. But fighting for control of the city continued. On 19 August Ukrainian troops claimed they were clearing Yasynuvata of remaining separatist forces after its victory ("conducting

174-581: A "People's Mandate" at noon on 7 April, and dismiss all elected council members and MPs. The people who voted within the RSA were not elected to the positions they assumed. According to the Information Telegraph Agency of Russia , the declaration was voted on by some regional legislators, however other reports say that neither the Donetsk city administration nor local district councils in city neighbourhoods delegated any representatives to

261-562: A former member of the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine , who was also under arrest on charges of separatism. In response to these actions, acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov vowed to launch a major counter-terrorism operation against separatist movements in the country's eastern regions. Later that day, the SBU office in Donetsk was retaken by SBU Alpha Group. The Ukrainian special forces unit led by

348-451: A mopping-up operation"). Ukrainian military was forced to retreat from the town in mid-September 2014, and since then the government of Ukraine has recognised it to be under Russian occupation. Due to the war situation railway operation has ceased in 2014. In 2016 the OSCE declared the area between Yasynuvata and neighboring Ukrainian army controlled Avdiivka to be one of the hotspots of

435-450: A police bus that became surrounded by anti-Maidan attackers". The windows of the bus "were smashed, and irritant gas was dispersed inside, forcing the group to exit the bus, where they were then subjected to beatings and verbal abuse". A pro-Ukrainian protester was stabbed to death during the violence. A report by the OSCE said that "police forces" failed "to take adequate measure to protect

522-584: A protest movement dubbed Euromaidan soon developed into the largest democratic mass movement in Europe since 1989, culminating in the Revolution of Dignity , which removed Yanukovych from power following a majority vote in the Verkhovna Rada and led to the dismissal of his government . Some people in largely Russophone Donbas , the traditional base of support for Yanukovych and his Party of

609-573: A relative majority in the southern port city of Izmail . Significant Bulgarian (6.1%) and Moldovan (5.0%) minorities reside in the province, who mostly live in the southeastern part of the region. It has the highest proportion of Jews of any oblast in Ukraine (although smaller than the Autonomous City of Kyiv ) and there is a small Greek community in the city of Odesa. Bulgarians and Moldovans represent 21% and 13% respectively, of

696-695: A sociological survey conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation from 10 to 21 July 2023 in Odesa Oblast, the share of respondents who speak Ukrainian at home has increased to 42% (from 26% in 2021), while the share of those who speak Russian at home has dropped to 54%. To the question "How do you feel about the mandatory use of Ukrainian in the service sector (shops, cafes, barber shops, entertainment venues)?" 59% answered "Positive", 13% — "Negative", 17% — "I don't care", 12% — "Hard to say". To

783-428: A unified Ukraine, while 18.2% supported joining Russia, and 4.7% supported independence. A second poll conducted from 26 to 29 March showed that 77% of residents condemned the takeover of administrative buildings, while 16% supported such actions. Furthermore, 40.8% of Donetsk citizens supported rallies for Ukraine's unity, while 26.5% supported pro-Russian rallies. In another research poll conducted 8–16 April by KIIS,

870-441: A union between Russia and Ukraine was found to be much higher in certain oblasts: Another Kyiv International Institute of Sociology poll the following April, of all of the oblasts of southern and eastern Ukraine except Crimea (which had already been annexed by Russia by that point) found majority opposition to secession from Ukraine and annexation by Russia in all of these oblasts—albeit only a slight majority in opposition to this in

957-552: A vast majority disapproved of the seizure of administrative buildings by protesters. Over 50% of those polled in southern and eastern Ukraine considered acting President Oleksandr Turchynov to be illegitimate. Most of those polled in southern and eastern Ukraine believed that the disarmament and disbandment of illegal radical groups is crucial to preserving national unity. 19.1% of those polled in southern and eastern Ukraine believed that Ukraine should be an independent state, 45.2% were for an independent state but with decentralization of

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1044-615: Is Sergei Utochkin who was a universal sportsman excelling in cycling, boxing, swimming and played football for the Odesa British Athletic Club . Utochkin had challenged a steam-powered tram while running, on a bicycle he beat a galloping horse, while on roller skates he was passing a bicyclist. The next stage for him was to conquest skies. Utochkin managed to buy an airplane from a local banker and completed dozens of exhibition flights. Eventually, he managed to assemble his own Farman -type airplane. In Kyiv, Utochkin

1131-551: Is also the largest wine-growing region in Ukraine . Evidence of the earliest inhabitants in this area comes from the settlements and burial grounds of the Neolithic Gumelnița , Cucuteni-Trypillia and Usatove cultures, as well as from the tumuli and hoards of the Bronze Age Proto-Indo-Europeans . In the 1st millennium B.C. Milesian Greeks founded colonies along the northern coast of

1218-411: Is the mainstay of the local rural economy. The southwest has many orchards and vineyards, while arable crops grow throughout the region. Significant branches of the oblast's economy are: The region's industrial capability is principally concentrated in and around Odesa. The oblast's population (as at the start of 2021) was 2,368,107 people, nearly 43% of whom lived in the city of Odesa. According to

1305-613: The Arab Spring of 2010–2011. Following the removal of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych on 22 February 2014, various protests and counter-protests were held in Crimea , including by anti-Maidan Russian nationalists who sought the peninsula's annexation by Russia and by Crimean Tatars who supported Ukrainian unity. Beginning on 26 February, unidentified militants , subsequently confirmed to be Russian troops by Vladimir Putin , began to gradually take control of

1392-813: The Budjak region of Bessarabia ), formed in 1940 as a result of the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina (from Romania ), when Northern and Southern parts of Bessarabia were given to the Ukrainian SSR. During the 1991 referendum , 85.38% of votes in Odesa Oblast favored the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine . A survey conducted in December 2014 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 2.3% of

1479-591: The Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts). Opposition to secession from Ukraine and annexation by Russia (the combined percentage for the people opting for the options of "Rather, no" and "Certainly, no, I don't") had these percentages in various southern and eastern Ukrainian oblasts: In an opinion poll conducted from 14 to 26 March by the International Republican Institute , 26–27% of those polled in southern and eastern Ukraine viewed

1566-656: The Donetsk People's Republic were distributed on 26 April, notifying citizens of a referendum on the question of whether or not they supported the proclamation of "state sovereignty" by the Republic to be held on 11 May. In the morning on the next day, two members of the OSCE special monitoring mission were held by a group of unarmed men from the Donbas People's Militia in Yenakiieve . They were taken to

1653-683: The Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and the Chernivtsi Oblast . The number of refugees, primarily Crimean Tatars, continued to rise, and by 20 May the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that about 10,000 people had been displaced. Pro-Russian protesters occupied the Donetsk regional state administration (RSA) building from 1 to 6 March, before being removed by

1740-829: The Kingdom of Poland in 1569, within which they were located in Bracław County in the Bracław Voivodeship in the Lesser Poland Province . Savran , Kodyma and Józefgród were Polish private towns , the two latter founded by the Lubomirski family . The bulk of the territory of the Odesa Oblast passed to Russian control in 1791 in the course of the Russian southern expansion towards the Black Sea at

1827-512: The Russian Federation ", would take place "no later than 11 May 2014." Additionally, the group's leaders have appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to send Russian peacekeeping forces to the region. The group has been banned in Ukraine since 2007. The group's leader, Andrei Purgin, had been arrested weeks prior on charges of separatism. The political leader of the state was the self-declared People's Governor Pavel Gubarev ,

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1914-469: The Security Service of Ukraine . 13 March was marked by violent clashes between pro-Maidan and anti-Maidan protesters in Donetsk. A large group of anti-Maidan protesters broke through a police cordon and began to attack a smaller pro-Maidan demonstration. In interviews with OSCE monitors, bystanders described how a group of around thirty pro-Maidan protesters "were forced to seek shelter in

2001-497: The Ukrainian national census in 2001 , ethnic Ukrainians are by far the largest ethnic group, accounting for 62,8% of the population. They are the dominant ethnic group in the northern, central and southeastern part of the province, as well as in the regional capital of Odesa . Making up 20.7% of the population, Russians are the second-largest group in the region and are mostly concentrated in urban areas, yet they only constitute

2088-762: The War in Donbass . On 30 September 2022, the Russian Federation unilaterally annexed Yasynuvata with other areas of Donetsk Oblast that are under Russian military occupation . As of the 2001 Ukrainian census : This article about a location in Donetsk Oblast is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine Post-Minsk II conflict Attacks on civilians Related From

2175-700: The White movement ) and then to the Russian Bolshevik Red Army . By 1920 the Soviet authorities had secured the territory of Odesa Oblast, which became part of the Ukrainian SSR . The oblast was established on 27 February 1932 from five districts: Odesa Okruha, Pervomaisk Okruha, Kirovohrad Okruha, Mykolaiv Okruha, and Kherson Okruha. It was the scene of Soviet genocidal crimes, including the Holodomor of 1932–1933 and Polish Operation of

2262-529: The Black Sea, including the towns of Tyras and Niconium in the modern Odesa Oblast. The Greeks left behind painted vessels, ceramics, sculptures, inscriptions, arts and crafts that indicate the prosperity of their ancient civilisation. The culture of Scythian tribes inhabiting the Black Sea littoral steppes in the first millennium B.C. has left artefacts in settlements and burial grounds, including weapons, bronze cauldrons, other utensils, and adornments. By

2349-490: The Crimean Parliament declared independence from Ukraine and asked to join the Russian Federation. On 18 March, Russia and Crimea signed a treaty of accession of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol into the Russian Federation . On 21 March, the accession treaty was ratified and the establishment of two new constituent entities in the Russian Federation was marked by a 30 gun salute under an executive order of

2436-631: The Crimean Peninsula . During this time, the question of joining the Russian Federation was put to a referendum , which had an official turnout of 83 per cent and resulted in a 96% affirmative vote but has been condemned by European Union, American, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar officials and by the United Nations General Assembly as a violation of the Ukrainian constitution and international law. On 17 March,

2523-682: The EU. 90% of those polled in western Ukraine wanted to enter an economic union with EU, while only 4% favoured the customs union led by Russia. Among all the Ukrainians polled overall, 34% favoured joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization , while 44% were against joining it. In eastern Ukraine and southern Ukraine, only 14% and 11% of the respondents respectively favour joining NATO, while 67% and 52% oppose joining it. 72% of people polled in eastern Ukraine thought that

2610-573: The Euromaidan protests as a coup d'état. Only 5% of respondents in eastern Ukraine felt that Russian-speakers were 'definitely' under pressure or threat. 13% of respondents in southern Ukraine and 22% in eastern Ukraine viewed Russia's actions in Crimea as protecting Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine, with 37% and 30% viewing them as invasion and occupation. In the poll, 22% of those in southern Ukraine, and 26% of those in eastern Ukraine, supported

2697-630: The First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaliy Yarema , journalist Serhiy Leshchenko, and a report released by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe . Russian and Ukrainian sources differed greatly in the way they portrayed the pro-Russian demonstrators. Militants who took over government buildings in the Donetsk Oblast were consistently labeled as "separatists" and "terrorists" by

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2784-863: The NKVD of 1937. In 1937 the Central Executive Committee of the USSR split off the eastern portions of the Odesa Oblast to form the Mykolaiv Oblast . During World War II Axis forces conquered the area and Romania occupied the oblast and administered it as part of the Transnistria Governorate (1941–1944). After the war the Soviet administration reestablished the oblast with its pre-war borders. Odesa Oblast expanded in 1954 to absorb Izmail Oblast (also known as

2871-621: The Odesa Oblast occupies an area of around 33,314 square kilometres (12,863 sq mi). It is characterised by largely flat steppes – part of the Black Sea Lowland – divided by the estuary of the Dniester river, and bordered to the south by the Danube . Its Black Sea coast has numerous sandy beaches, estuaries and lagoons. The region's soils (especially chernozems ) have a reputation for fertility, and intensive agriculture

2958-457: The RSA. Another group of thirty people outside the RSA chanted the slogan "Akhmetov is an enemy of the people" while holding banners that said "Akhmetov is a thief and is a supporter of fascism" and "Are you a slave to Akhmetov?" Odesa Oblast Odesa Oblast ( Ukrainian : Одеська область , romanized :  Odeska oblast ), also referred to as Odeshchyna (Одещина), is an oblast (province) of southwestern Ukraine , located along

3045-559: The Regions , did not approve of the revolution, expressing their support for Russia instead. Historian William Jay Risch notes the spread of rumors aimed against new Ukrainian government spread on TV and social media by local elites and Russian state media in Donbas. Russia actively supported the separatism in Ukraine, including using its high-level actors, such as Kremlin advisers Vladislav Surkov and Sergey Glazyev , who organized some of

3132-773: The Republic Denis Pushilin said that "all Ukrainian military troops in the region would be considered occupying forces". In response to the perceived weakness of the Ukrainian army, some Ukrainians who opposed the insurgents formed the " Donbas Volunteer Battalion ", modeled on the Ukrainian partisan groups that fought against both the German Reich and the Soviet Union during the Second World War. Steelworkers and security guards from Metinvest , along with local police, began joint patrols in

3219-536: The Russian President. The U.N. General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution by 100 to 11 votes declaring that the referendum was invalid and that the incorporation of Crimea into Russia was illegal. Around 3,000 people had fled Crimea by April 1, and 80% of them were Crimean Tatars. Teams from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) assisted internally displaced persons who have resettled from Crimea in western Ukraine in

3306-788: The Russian military and intelligence services, belongs to the early stages of the Russo-Ukrainian War . During its first phase in February–March 2014, the Ukrainian territory of Crimea was invaded and subsequently annexed by Russia following an internationally unrecognized referendum , with the United Nations General Assembly voting in favor of Ukraine's territorial integrity. Concurrently, protests by anti-Maidan and pro-Russian groups took place across other parts of eastern and southern Ukraine. Local separatists, some directed and financed by

3393-537: The Russian security services, took advantage of the situation and occupied government buildings in Donetsk , Luhansk , and Kharkiv oblasts in early March 2014. The Ukrainian government was able to quickly quell this unrest, and removed the separatists by 10 March. Eventually, Kharkiv, Odesa, and most parts of Donbas including Mariupol remained under Ukrainian government control. Russia-controlled DPR and LPR were formed and took control of Donetsk and Luhansk. In

3480-535: The SBU building, smashing windows and ransacking files as an act of revenge for the clashes in Odesa. Kramatorsk was reoccupied by militants on 4 May, and Sloviansk saw renewed fighting on 5 May, resulting in the deaths of four Ukrainian soldiers. Fierce fighting took place in Mariupol starting 5 May. Posters plastered on the occupied city administration building read "OSCE get out" or "OSCE you cheat". As part of

3567-555: The Slavs' neighbours during different times. Archeological evidence of the period of the 9th–14th centuries survives in materials from the settlements and cities of Kievan Rus' : Belgorod, Caffa- Theodosia , and Berezan Island . The Mongols took over the Black Sea littoral in the 13th century. From about 1290 parts of the region were territories of the Republic of Genoa , becoming a center of Genoese commercial activity until at least

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3654-509: The Ukrainian government and the western media, whilst Russian media and officials referred to the protesters as "supporters of federalization". Russian media and the militants themselves referred to the Ukrainian transitional government in Kyiv as the "Bandera junta " (in reference to the Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera ) and also as " nationalist " and as " fascist ". Russian news broadcasts also featured claims of foreign involvement on

3741-417: The Ukrainian special forces to retake the building. Seizures of police stations and other government buildings by armed separatist groups also occurred in other cities in Donetsk Oblast, including Donetsk City proper, Kramatorsk , Druzhkivka , Horlivka , Mariupol and Yenakiieve . Ukrainian transitional president Oleksandr Turchynov launched a full-scale 'anti-terror' military operation to reclaim

3828-522: The Ukrainian vice prime minister for law enforcement, Vitaliy Yarema , that was supposed to restore control over the Donetsk RSA building, however, refused to storm it and remove the separatists. Turchynov offered amnesty to the separatists if they laid down their arms and surrendered, and also offered concessions that included devolution of power to regions, and the protection of the Russian language in law. Many in Donetsk expressed disapproval toward

3915-645: The action taken in Geneva. A truce declared for Easter Sunday was broken by an attack upon a separatist checkpoint in Sloviansk, further inflaming tensions. The situation remained tense on 23 April, with occupation of government buildings ongoing throughout the region. OSCE monitors observed that the city administration building, SBU building, and police station in Sloviansk remained heavily fortified by armed groups of men with masks and automatic weapons. The city remained quiet, with no protests occurring. However,

4002-470: The actions of the separatists. On 12 April, a group of masked militants, formed in Crimea and led by former officer of Russian security services Igor Girkin , captured the executive committee building, the police department and SBU office in Sloviansk , a city in the northern part of the Donetsk Oblast. Ukrainian Internal Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov labelled the gunmen "terrorists", and swore to use

4089-637: The arrest and imprisonment of two popular pro-European leaders and including a tightening of personal freedoms), the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) agreed in early 2013 to work towards fulfilling the requirements for joining the European Union , including legislative reform, protecting human rights, and releasing political prisoners. In response, Russia started pressuring Ukraine in August 2013 by applying customs regulations on imports from

4176-576: The beginning of the 1st millennium A.D. the Sarmatians displaced the Scythians . In the 3rd–4th centuries A.D. a tribal alliance, represented by the items of Chernyakhov culture , developed. From the middle of the first millennium the formation of the Slavic people began. In the 9th century the eastern Slavs united into a state with Kyiv as its centre. The Khazars , Polovtsy and Pechenegs were

4263-556: The buildings. Vitaly Yarema said that Russian Special Forces units, including the 45th Parachute Guards Regiment usually stationed near Moscow, were operating on Ukrainian territory in the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. On 16 April, the number of Russian special forces troops was said to be 450. By 16 April, the 'anti-terror' operation being conducted by the Ukrainian government in Donetsk Oblast had hit some stumbling blocks. Protesters seized Ukrainian armoured vehicles in Kramatorsk, and sent soldiers away in Sloviansk. During

4350-437: The city centre, and also cleaning up the burnt city administration building. By the morning of 16 May, Associated Press journalists could find no trace of the insurgents in Mariupol city centre. On 16 May, however, it seemed that separatists were not banished from the city, as reporters from The Washington Post said that about a hundred pro-Russian activists gathered on the steps of the city administration building, and that

4437-568: The city of Mariupol on 15 May. These groups forced the insurgents out of the buildings that they had been occupying. A representative of Mariupol supporters of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Kuzmenko, was party to a deal which led to this vacation of buildings by the insurgents, but a local commander of those insurgents who had been occupying the building said that "someone is trying to sow discord among us, someone has signed something, but we will continue our fight", and that "everyone ran away". Steelworkers could be seen removing barricades from

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4524-454: The city on a bus, along with the bus driver and five accompanying Ukrainian soldiers. The journalists were being held at the occupied SBU building. Access to the city remained unrestricted despite the supposed Ukrainian army blockade, with separatist barricades manned by fewer people then on previous days. Local residents said that the separatist administration in Sloviansk provided no administrative services to citizens. Leaflets released by

4611-434: The city, Vyacheslav Ponomarev , declared in response that 'We will make Stalingrad out of this town'. The Ukrainian government then stated on 25 April that it would 'fully blockade the city of Sloviansk', and continue with the 'anti-terror' operation. Amid the increasing tensions, separatists in Sloviansk detained seven international monitors on an OSCE military verification mission in Ukraine, who had been travelling into

4698-414: The counter-offensive in Donetsk would continue. A large skirmish erupted in Mariupol on 9 May, when government troops launched an attack on a police station in the city, resulting in the killing of at least twenty people. These were described by the Ukrainian government as "militants" and "terrorists", though some local residents said that they were unarmed protestors. The disputed referendum on

4785-403: The counter-offensive, government forces recaptured the building on 7 May, but then left it, allowing the separatists to quickly re-occupy it. Occupied buildings in Donetsk had been heavily fortified by 6 May, and Donetsk International Airport was closed to all traffic. The regional television broadcasting centre remained occupied by about thirty camouflaged insurgents with AK-47s . A BTR-70

4872-534: The country was going in the wrong direction, compared with only 36% in western Ukraine. A poll conducted by the Donetsk Institute of Social Research and Policy Analysis analysed the identities of Donetsk inhabitants. While support for separatism was low, just over a third of polled Donetsk inhabitants identified themselves as "citizens of Ukraine". More preferred "Russian-speaking residents of Ukraine" or "residents of Donbas ". The same poll determined that 66% of Donetsk residents that were polled supported remaining in

4959-424: The country, which culminated on 14 August 2013 with the Russian Custom Service halting goods coming from Ukraine. This prompted politicians and others to view the move as the start of a trade war against Ukraine to prevent Ukraine from signing a trade agreement with the European Union. When president Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign an association agreement with the European Union on 21 November 2013,

5046-443: The crowd and stormed the RSA building, with the police offering little resistance. They then occupied the building and raised the Russian flag over it while the people outside chanted "Russia, Russia". 100 people proceeded to barricade themselves in the building. The separatists declared that if an extraordinary session was not held by officials, announcing a referendum to join Russia, they would declare unilateral control by forming

5133-489: The early morning of 2 May resulted in the downing of two government helicopters, and casualties on both sides. As a result, Ukrainian forces gained control of all separatist checkpoints, and of half the city. President Oleksandr Turchynov said that many separatists were "killed, injured and arrested". In the early morning on the next day, the counter-offensive then targeted to Kramatorsk , and Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast  [ uk ] . Serious fighting resulted in

5220-412: The end of February 2014, in the aftermath of the Euromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity , which resulted in the ousting of Russian-leaning Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych , demonstrations by Russian-backed, pro-Russian, and anti-government groups (as well as pro-government demonstrations) took place in Crimea , Donetsk , Luhansk , Kharkiv and Odesa . The unrest, which was supported by

5307-400: The end of the 18th century, whereas the northern outskirts were annexed by Russia in the Second Partition of Poland in 1793. Russian historiography refers to the annexed area from 1791 as the Ochakov Oblast. After the February Revolution of 1917 in Russia the area became part of the Ukrainian People's Republic (1917–1918), but soon succumbed first to the Russian Volunteer Army (part of

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5394-420: The extremist Eurasian Youth Union Oleg Bakhtiyarov was arrested for, in part, recruiting rioters for US$ 500 each to assist in the storming of government buildings. On 13 April, the Internal Affairs Ministry stated that recruiters were found to be paying $ 500 to take part in the attacks, and roughly $ 40 to occupy buildings. Reports of paid protesters were supported by Party of Regions member Volodymyr Landik,

5481-454: The idea of federalization for the country; 69% of southerners and 53% of easterners supported Ukraine remaining as a unitary state; and only 2% of southerners and 4% of easterners supported separatism. 59% of those polled in eastern Ukraine would have liked to join the Russian-led customs union , while only 22% were in favour of joining the European Union. 37% of southerners preferred to join this customs union, while 29% were in favour of joining

5568-407: The legitimacy of the present government and parliament, but a majority in all regions agreed that deposed president Viktor Yanukovych was not the legal president of the country. In all regions but the Donbas, pro-Euromaidan oligarch Petro Poroshenko dominated preliminary election polls. A comprehensive poll released on 8 May by the Pew Research Centre surveyed opinions in Ukraine on the subject of

5655-399: The middle of the 14th century . The Grand Duchy of Lithuania acquired the area at the beginning of the 15th century. In 1593 the Ottoman Empire set up in the area what became known as its Dnieper Province ( Özü Eyalet ), unofficially known as the Khanate of Ukraine . The northern outskirts of the current oblast, forming part of Podolia , remained within Lithuania, and then passed to

5742-401: The monitors believed that the city remained under heavy surveillance, both by people in uniforms and masks, but also by many persons in civilian clothing. One resident said that people in Sloviansk were afraid to discuss their opinions of the occupiers. On 24 April, Ukrainian forces made a series of 'probing attacks' into Sloviansk against the insurgents. The self-proclaimed separatist mayor of

5829-458: The night of 16 April, about 300 pro-Russian protesters attacked a Ukrainian military unit in Mariupol , throwing petrol bombs . Internal Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov said that troops were forced to open fire, resulting in the killing of three of the attackers. The Geneva Statement of 17 April did not result in the end of the government building occupations in Donetsk Oblast. Two pro-Russian groups in Mariupol said that they 'felt betrayed' by

5916-444: The northern coast of the Black Sea . Its administrative centre is the city of Odesa . Population: 2,351,382 (2022 estimate). The length of coastline (sea-coast and estuaries) reaches 300 km (190 mi), while the state border stretches for 1,200 km (750 mi). The region has eight seaports and five of the biggest lakes, including Yalpuh Lake , in Ukraine. With over 80,000 ha (200,000 acres) of vineyards, it

6003-402: The oblast government – ( Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi , Chornomorsk , Izmail , Pivdenne , Podilsk , Teplodar and the administrative centre of the oblast, Odesa ). On 18 July 2020, the number of districts ( raions ) was reduced to seven, now also incorporating the formerly independent cities. (see map). They are now divided into 91 municipalities ( hromadas ). One of the most famous Odesits

6090-424: The oblast's population supported their region joining Russia, 91.5% did not support the idea, and the rest were undecided or did not respond. A poll reported by Alexei Navalny and conducted in September 2014 found similar results. On 4-5 July 2022 during international Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2022) in Lugano Switzerland pledged to support the rebuilding of Odesa region. Ukraine's largest oblast by area,

6177-527: The occupied city hall, questioned, and then released after a letter sent by the mission's office in Kyiv confirmed the credentials of the monitors. A large pro-government rally in Donetsk city marched in protest against the violence in Donetsk Oblast, and the attempted assassination of Kharkiv mayor Hennadiy Kernes on 28 April. The rally was swiftly and violently broken up by separatists armed with baseball bats, iron rods, firecrackers and shields. A new counter-offensive by government forces on Sloviansk during

6264-792: The population in the salient of Budjak , within Odesa Oblast. Native language in Odesa Oblast (2022) According to the 2001 Ukrainian census , Ukrainian was the mother tongue of 46.3% of the population, 42.0% for Russian , 4.9% for Bulgarian , and 3.8% Romanian . According to a sociological survey conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation  [ uk ] from 21 to 27 October 2022, 57.8% of respondents in Odesa Oblast named Ukrainian as their native language, 28.8% — Russian, 5.4% — another language, 7.9% said they found it difficult to say which language they considered their native language or refused to answer. According to

6351-413: The population. Another 8% declares to be non-religious and 6% are unaffiliated generic Christians . Adherents of Catholicism and Protestantism make up 0.5% of the population respectively. The Orthodox community of Odesa Oblast is divided as follows: Until 2020, the Odesa Oblast was administratively subdivided into 26 raions ( districts ) and 7 municipalities which were directly subordinate to

6438-520: The power to the regions, but most felt Russia and Ukraine should share open borders without visa restrictions; 8.4% were in favour of Ukraine and Russia uniting into a single state. 15.4% said they favoured secession of their region to join the Russian Federation, and 24.8% favoured Ukraine becoming a federation. Most of those polled said they found nothing attractive about Russia, but those who did, did so for economic, and not cultural reasons. Those polled in southern and eastern Ukraine were generally split on

6525-449: The pro-Maidan assembly", and "could be observed treating the anti-Maidan protesters in a favourable manner". After this day of violence, interviewees told the OSCE that residents of Donetsk had decided not to organize more peaceful pro-Maidan demonstrations, "out of fear for their safety". On Sunday, 6 April, pro-Russian protesters held a rally in Donetsk pushing for a referendum on independence. A group of 1,000 protestors broke away from

6612-918: The pro-russian protests. The attendees of pro-Russian protests included Russian citizens from across the border who came to support the efforts of pro-Russian activists in Ukraine. Donetsk oblast governor Serhiy Taruta said that rallies in Donetsk included ex-convicts and others who travelled from Crimea . Ukraine's police and border guards denied entry to more than 8,200 Russians between 4 and 25 March 2014. On 27 March 2014, National Security and Defence Council Secretary Andriy Parubiy said that between 500 and 700 Russians were being denied entry daily. A poll conducted by Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) from 8–18 February 2014 assessed support for union with Russia throughout Ukraine. It found that, overall, 12% of those polled favoured union with Russia. 68.0% said that Ukraine should remain independent and maintain friendly relations with Russia. Support for

6699-454: The question "Do you think it is acceptable to perform songs in Russian in the public space of your village/city, for example, performances by street musicians, listening to such songs in cafes/restaurants or supermarkets, etc.?" 30% answered "No", 37% — "Yes", 20% — "I don't care", 12% — "I find it difficult to answer". Religion in Odesa Oblast (2015) The dominant religion in Odesa Oblast is Eastern Orthodox Christianity , professed by 84% of

6786-536: The recapture of the occupied buildings in Kramatorsk by government forces, and at least ten separatists were said to have been killed in Andriivka. All of the international military monitors who had been held in Sloviansk were released by Vyacheslav Ponomaryov on 3 May. On the same day, protesters in the city of Donetsk stormed and occupied the chairman of the regional government's private business office and

6873-417: The results. During the Euromaidan revolution there were widespread reports that pro-Yanukovych and pro-Russian ' anti-Maidan ' protesters were paid for their support. Oleksiy Haran, a political scientist at Kyiv Mohyla Academy in Kyiv stated that: "People at anti-Maidan stand for money only. The government uses these hirelings to provoke resistance. They won't be sacrificing anything". Russian leader of

6960-589: The second phase from April 2014, armed Russian-backed groups seized government buildings across Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, together known as the Donbas , and launched a separatist insurgency in the region . To suppress this insurgency, the Ukrainian government began what it called an " Anti-Terrorist Operation " (ATO), sending in the armed forces to quell the unrest. Unrest in Kharkiv and Odesa oblasts did not escalate into full-scale armed conflict, although dozens of mostly pro-Russian protestors were killed . Order

7047-400: The separatist flag continued to fly over it. Rinat Akhmetov , oligarch and owner of Metinvest, called for non-violent protests against the separatists in Donbas on 19 May. In response to this call, cars gathered in front of the Donetsk RSA building and continually honked their horns. OSCE monitors said that some elderly people threw stones and water bottles at the cars as they passed by

7134-428: The session. According to the Ukrainian government, the seizure of RSA buildings by pro-Russian forces was part of "a script" which was "written in the Russian Federation" to destabilize Ukraine, carried out by "about 1,500 radicals in each region who spoke with clear Russian accents". On 6 April, the leaders of the separatist group Donetsk Republic announced that a referendum, on whether Donetsk Oblast should "join

7221-584: The side of the Ukrainian government. In the Ukrainian media , the derogatory term " Colorado beetle " was used for the pro-Russian demonstrators and militants, in reference to the Ribbon of St George they wore. Starting in the Russian media, the wave of unrest came to be referred to in Russia and Russian controlled parts of Ukraine as the "Russian Spring", a reference to both the Prague Spring of 1968 and

7308-554: The status of Donetsk Oblast was held on 11 May. According to representatives of the Donetsk People's Republic, 89% voted in favour of self-rule, and 10% voted against. Turnout was said to be 75%. OSCE monitors did not observe the referendum, as the situation in Donetsk after the skirmish in Mariupol was said to be "volatile", forcing them to restrict their operations in the region. After the results were announced, leader of

7395-469: The unrest. The poll was taken after the annexation of Crimea , but prior to the clashes in Odesa on 2 May . 93% of westerners and 70% of easterners polled said that they wanted Ukraine to remain united. Despite international criticism of the 16 March referendum on Crimean status , 91% of the Crimeans polled thought that the vote was free and fair, and 88% said that the Ukrainian government should accept

7482-467: Was parked outside building, along with barricades made of sandbags and tyres. A similar presence was observed at the RSA building. On 7 May, Russian president Vladimir Putin asked the separatists to delay the planned 11 May referendum on the status of Donetsk . Denis Pushilin , the leader of the Donetsk People's Republic , refused. In response, Ukrainian transitional prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk referred to Putin's words "hot air", and vowed that

7569-439: Was restored in these regions with the cooperation of the local civil authorities, though pro-Russian disturbances, such as bombings, continued throughout the year. After the 2004 Orange Revolution , Russia launched a decade-long effort to restore its political influence in Ukraine by playing on existing domestic fault lines and undermining the central government. Despite a crackdown on political opponents in 2011–12 (including

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