News

One century later, the Donetsk Republic 'revives' amid Ukrainian crisis

Pro-Russian occupiers of several government buildings declare new state in Eastern Ukraine, announce referendum on joining Russia · Ukrainian Prime Minister condemns decision as "anti-Ukrainian operation" · Move is mirrored in short-lived republic declared in 1918

Pro-Russian activists occupying several government buildings in Donetsk today proclaimed the People's Republic of Donetsk and announced a referendum on the annexation of this territory by the Russian Federation to be held on May 11th at the latest. Pro-Russian activists, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports, have announced the creation of the new republic from the building of the Donetsk regional administration, where they have established a People's Council of Donetsk as a governing body.

Ukrainian news website Kyiv Post says that the Ukrainian police plans to evict the occupiers today. The pro-Russian activists set up barricades in front of the entrance of the building and called on Russia to send "peacekeeping troops" to Donetsk. According to AFP, 2,000 people outside the building (left picture above, taken from a recording posted on YouTube), some of whom are armed, are supporting the occupiers.

It is too early to say whether this move will consolidate or not, or if it enjoys support from Russia. At the moment, there is no conformation that any local political leader is supporting the occupiers.

In recent weeks, after the annexation of Crimea, tensions were apparently calming. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would be withdrawing troops next to the Ukrainian border. But Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatseniuk today said seizure of buildings in Eastern Ukraine (which besides Donetsk are also taking place in neighboring Luhansk and Kharkiv) are part of an "anti-Ukrainian operation" aimed at making a Russian invasion easier and at "destroying Ukraine".

Mirroring a republic created in 1918

Both the name and the flag (black, blue and red) that the pro-Russian secessionists are using are very similar to those of the Donetsk Soviet Republic, which was declared in January 1918 in the eastern Ukrainian region. The founders of the republic wanted to avoid the territories of the Donbass basin (an important mining area) falling under the control of Ukraine, which had proclaimed itself to be sovereign and was about to fall under German control at the end of the First World War. But the Bolshevik leadership in Moscow forced the leaders of the Donetsk Soviet Republic to side with Ukrainian Communists in their fight against the Germans and their allies in the Ukrainian government, and thus the republic was dismantled.

As the conflict ended, Ukraine (as neighboring Belarus) became a member republic of the Soviet Union, along with Russia. The Donetsk Republic never resurfaced.