The donbass region is a harder nut to crack—the Ukrainians are determined to keep it.
They served in the volunteer donbass Battalion, one of three specially organized National Guard battalions.
Unlike the dreary industrial region of donbass where the fighting is concentrated, Crimea has great potential as a tourist center.
In the past three months over 2,500 civilians have been killed in the crossfires of donbass.
As a result of the violent war in donbass, more and more Ukrainians say their country should join NATO.
Putin is not in a position to “leave donbass [eastern Ukraine] in trouble,” rebel official Igor Druz told The Daily Beast.
Shoygu would not dare to send the Grad system, tanks, APCs, and other weapons to donbass unless Putin approved of it.
Strelkov, he said, is the only one who makes crucial decisions in donbass.
The donbass battalion of about 100 raw recruits armed with pistols and hunting rifles was ambushed.
The Yanukoyches are from the donbass region and both Donetsk and Luhansk are Party of Regions strongholds.
