ABSTRACT
The stalemate in eastern Ukraine continued in 2018, while relations between Russia and Ukraine deteriorated further when the Ukrainian parliament ratified a decree on the reintegration of the Donbas region in February. The issues of internally displaced persons, human-rights violations and other consequences of the ongoing conflict remained pronounced in 2018. The Ukrainian armed forces still face challenges such as corruption, institutional weakness and lack of clear-cut strategic targets for the development of military institutions. The two main separatist forces in eastern Ukraine are the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) and the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR). Most information originates from official reports by the Ukrainian armed forces, according to which the DNR and LNR possess a large number of tanks, artillery and air-defence systems. Separatist forces tried to regain and maintain key towns along the contact line by shelling the Ukrainian armed forces, which have been successful at counteracting such offensives.
