Changes

==History==

==History==

Donetsk and Luhansk declared independence after the 2014 U.S.-backed Maidan coup in Kyiv that overthrew democratically-elected President [[Viktor Yanukovych]] on February 21, 2014. On the next day the Ukrainian Rada, with only opposition leaders present, ousted Yanukovych.

Donetsk and Luhansk declared independence after the 2014 U.S.-backed [[Maidan coup]] in Kyiv that overthrew democratically-elected President [[Viktor Yanukovych]] on February 21, 2014. On the next day the Ukrainian Rada, with only opposition leaders present, ousted Yanukovych.

After anti-Russian language laws were passed by the [[coup]] government which was hand-picked by [[Victoria Nuland]] of the [[United States State Department]],<ref>https://youtu.be/6UKCqqOSBXE</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/LH8jz1Docm4</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/OWfBW1ExZmc</ref> and after [[neo-Nazi]]s burned dozens of people alive in a building in [[Odessa]] on May 3, 2014, both Lugansk and Donetsk declared independence nine days later on May 12.

After anti-Russian language laws were passed by the [[coup]] government which was hand-picked by [[Victoria Nuland]] of the [[United States State Department]],<ref>https://youtu.be/6UKCqqOSBXE</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/LH8jz1Docm4</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/OWfBW1ExZmc</ref> and after [[neo-Nazi]]s burned dozens of people alive in a building in [[Odessa]] on May 3, 2014, both Lugansk and Donetsk declared independence nine days later on May 12.

==Economy==

==Economy==

Donbas is dominated by heavy industry, such as coal mining and metallurgy. It is a significant supplier of [[coal]] with estimated reserves of 60 billion tonnes of coal.  In March 2017, Ukrainian President [[Petro Poroshenko]], who came to power in the [[Maidan coup]], imposed an economic boycott on goods exported from Donetsk and Luhansk, meaning that Ukraine does not buy coal from the Donets Coal Basin.<ref>[https://economics.unian.info/2338645-ukrainian-energy-industry-thorny-road-of-reform.html Ukrainian energy industry: thorny road of reform], Ukrainian Independent Information Agency (10 January 2018)</ref>

Donbas is dominated by heavy industry, such as coal mining and metallurgy. It is a significant supplier of [[coal]] with estimated reserves of 60 billion tonnes of coal.  In March 2017, Ukrainian President [[Petro Poroshenko]], who came to power in the Maidan coup, imposed an economic boycott on goods exported from Donetsk and Luhansk, meaning that Ukraine does not buy coal from the Donets Coal Basin.<ref>[https://economics.unian.info/2338645-ukrainian-energy-industry-thorny-road-of-reform.html Ukrainian energy industry: thorny road of reform], Ukrainian Independent Information Agency (10 January 2018)</ref>

==References==

==References==