Crisis in Ukraine

Crisis in Ukraine
Overview
Part of
Date	since 2014
Location	Ukraine
Combatants
Ukraine *Extreme right-wing militias Azov Battalion Right Sector	Federated States of Novorossiya Donetsk People's Republic Luhanks People's Republic
Commanders
Petro Poroshenko Arseniy Yatsenyuk	Alexander Zakharchenko
Strength
50,000	20,000
Casualties

The Crisis in Ukraine appeared in the February 2014. Most inhabitants of Eastern Ukraine are Russians and want to join Russia. The Ukrainian government tries to suppress the Russian separatists.

Background and course

This card shows the distribution of Russian native speakers

On February 22, 2014 the pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, who was democratically elected, was overthrown after months of violent protests. The residents of Eastern Ukraine, who voted for Yanukovych and supported his pro-Russian politics started to split off from the new Ukrainian government. Since the spring of this year the Ukrainian government attacks the civilians living in Donbass. A highlight of this crisis was the connection of the Crimean peninsula to Russia on March 17, 2014.

In February 2015 unsuccesfully peace talks were held in Minsk, Belarus. Currently big cities like Donetks, Luhansk, Horlivka, Makiivka or Debaltseve are under control of the rebels.

Conflicting Parties

The Ukrainian Army fights alongside with about 50 battalions, that consists of volunteers. A notable group is the Battalion Azov, that was founded in spring 2014. The logo of it shows the "Black Sun" and a "Wolfsangel". These two symbols are used by several neo-Nazi groups wordlwide. A big part of its members are professed Nazis and explain their admiration to Adolf Hitler.