ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the process of forming two de facto states on Ukrainian territory – the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic. The chapter emphasizes the historical background of separatist tendencies in Ukraine and then discusses the phases of the armed conflict: from the initiation of military operations in the Donbas in 2014, through the phase of peace negotiations, to Russia's opening invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022. Through this approach, the author has captured the evolution of the actors’ operating environment.
