An Ukrainian soldier stocks up on ammunition near Katerynivka village in eastern Ukraine. EPA
An Ukrainian soldier stocks up on ammunition near Katerynivka village in eastern Ukraine. EPA
An Ukrainian soldier stocks up on ammunition near Katerynivka village in eastern Ukraine. EPA
An Ukrainian soldier stocks up on ammunition near Katerynivka village in eastern Ukraine. EPA

Where is Ukraine's Donbas? What to know about the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk enclaves


Ismaeel Naar
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his troops to carry out a special military operation in the Donbas region of Ukraine, Russian news agencies said on Thursday.

Donbas, in the country's east, has been at the centre of the escalating crisis between Russia and Ukraine.

Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk — collectively known as the Donbas region — broke away from Ukrainian government control in 2014 and proclaimed themselves independent "people's republics".

Tension had been brewing after Mr Putin signed a decree on Monday recognising the two breakaway enclaves.

Where is Ukraine's Donbas region?

Donbas is a region in south-eastern Ukraine occupied by the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic separatist groups. Its name is a combination of the words Donets and Basin, referring to the coal-mining region along the Donets River.

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What does Russian recognition of Donbas mean?

For the first time, Russia is saying it does not regard Donbas as part of Ukraine. That could pave the way for Moscow to send military forces into the separatist enclaves, using the argument that it is intervening to protect them from Ukraine.

Alexander Borodai, a Russian parliament member and former Donetsk political leader, told Reuters last month that the separatists would then look to Russia to help them wrest control of parts of the two enclaves that are still under the control of Ukrainian forces.

If that happens, it could lead to open military conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

What about the Minsk peace process?

An Ukrainian serviceman in Katerynivka village, not far from Luhansk, on Wednesday. EPA
An Ukrainian serviceman in Katerynivka village, not far from Luhansk, on Wednesday. EPA

Russian recognition effectively kills off the 2014-15 Minsk peace agreements that, although still not enforced, have until now been considered by all sides, including Moscow, as the best chance for a peaceful resolution. The accords call for a large degree of autonomy for the two enclaves inside Ukraine.

How will the West respond?

Western governments have been lining up for months to warn Moscow that any movement of military forces across the Ukrainian border would draw a strong response, including stringent financial sanctions.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that recognition "would further undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, constitute a gross violation of international law, [and] call into further question Russia’s stated commitment to continue to engage in diplomacy to achieve a peaceful resolution of this crisis".

He said it would necessitate a "swift and firm" response from the US and its allies.

How has Russia supported the Donbas region?

Russian passports

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Moscow had issued 800,000 Russian passports to Donbas residents since Mr Putin signed an order in April 2019 allowing them to apply for citizenship under an expedited procedure.

The EU, at the time, said the measure was an attack on Ukrainian sovereignty while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more sanctions against Moscow.

In May 2021, Mr Zelenskyy described Moscow's initiative as a first step towards the annexation of the region.

Residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic board a bus at a customs post in Rostov, Russia, on February 19, 2022. EPA
Residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic board a bus at a customs post in Rostov, Russia, on February 19, 2022. EPA

Financial support

A former senior official from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic told Reuters in 2016 that Russia directly finances pensions and public sector salaries in the two enclaves.

After war broke out, Kiev stopped paying wages to civil servants registered as living in separatist-controlled enclaves. Much of the heavy industry on which the Donbas region depends on for revenue has stopped operating.

However, Moscow said it does not bankroll the separatist administrations.

Russian rouble and schooling

Both enclaves have abandoned the Ukrainian currency in favour of the Russian rouble as their official currencies.

Local schools now follow the Russian national curriculum instead of Ukraine's.

In 2021, the Donetsk People's Republic marked Russia Day on June 12 to commemorate Russia's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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Fixture
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Inas%20Halabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENijmeh%20Hamdan%2C%20Kamal%20Kayouf%2C%20Sheikh%20Najib%20Alou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
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The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
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The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

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According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
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For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

Updated: February 24, 2022, 6:44 AM`