The main obstacle in the problem of the legal classification of the conflict situation in the separate districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ORDLO) is the complete denial of the Russian Federation as to its direct participation in the abovementioned conflict. However, an act of direct Russian aggression has been established, despite the diligent attempts made by the Russian Federation to conceal its activities in eastern Ukraine. In addition, the key importance of defining acts of aggression is to establish the status of the participants in hostilities and the territories of ORDLO, where the hostilities take place.

The purpose of this article is to classify the actions of the Russian Federation as an act of direct aggression against the sovereignty of Ukraine, and to confirm the status of the ORDLO territories as occupied, as well as to confirm the status of local militants as collaborators under effective Russian control.

According to this study, the actions of the Russian Federation on the ORDLO territories and the Sea of Azov fall under five out of the seven possible provisions of Article 3 of UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (XXIX) on the Definition of Aggression, which completely excludes any possibility of denying the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Despite such indisputable facts, Russia continues to describe the conflict in Donbass as “a civil war of rebels against the Ukrainian government”. This position of the Russian government is completely wrong, as evidenced by the presence of the Russian regular army soldiers, militants of Russian private military companies and military weapons which were recorded on the territories of ORDLO and were even entered into several international volunteer databases. This paper also examines the long-term development of collaborationism and the elements of hybrid war in the independent Ukraine, which alsocontributed to the beginning of the Russian aggression in the Donbass.

Bibliography

Authored books

1. Ágh A, The Politics of Central Europe (1st edn, SAGE Publications Ltd 1998). DOI: 10.4135/9781446279250 (in English).

2. Jo H, Compliant Rebels: Rebel Groups and International Law in World Politics (1st edn, Cambridge University Press 2015). DOI: 10.1017/CBO9781316273142 (in English).

3. Case S and Anders K, Putin’s Undeclared War: Summer 2014-Russian Artillery Strikes against Ukraine (Bellingcat 2016) (in English).

Edited books

4. Korotkyi T and Hendel N, ‘The Legal Status of the Donetsk and Luhansk “Peoples’ Republics”’ in Sayapin S and Tsybulenko E, The Use of Force against Ukraine and International Law: Jus Ad Bellum, Jus in Bello, Jus Post Bellum (1st edn, T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer 2018) 148–9. DOI: 10.1007/978-94-6265-222-4 (in English).

5. Maiorova A (ed), Donbas in Flames: Guide to the Conflict Zone (Prometheus 2017) (in English).

6. Merezhko O, ‘International Legal Aspects of Russia’s War Against Ukraine in Eastern Ukraine’ in Sayapin S and Tsybulenko E, The Use of Force against Ukraine and International Law: Jus Ad Bellum, Jus in Bello, Jus Post Bellum (1st edn, T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer 2018). DOI: 10.1007/978-94-6265-222-4_5 (in English).

7. Sayapin S and Tsybulenko E, The Use of Force against Ukraine and International Law: Jus Ad Bellum, Jus in Bello, Jus Post Bellum (1st edn, T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer 2018). DOI: 10.1007/978-94-6265-222-4 (in English).

8. Tsybulenko E and Francis J, ‘Separatists or Russian Troops and Local Collaborators? Russian Aggression in Ukraine: The Problem of Definitions’ in Sayapin S and Tsybulenko E, The Use of Force against Ukraine and International Law: Jus Ad Bellum, Jus in Bello, Jus Post Bellum (1st edn, T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer 2018). DOI: 10.1007/97894-6265-222-4_6 (in English).

9. Tsybulenko E and Kelichavyi B, ‘International Legal Dimensions of the Russian Occupation of Crimea’ in Sayapin S and Tsybulenko E, The Use of Force against Ukraine and International Law: Jus Ad Bellum, Jus in Bello, Jus Post Bellum (1st edn, T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer 2018). DOI: 10.1007/978-94-6265-222-4_13 (in English).

Journal articles

10. Bukkvoll T, ‘Russian Special Operations Forces in Crimea and Donbas’ [2016] 46 (2) Parameters 18 (in English).

11. Antonovych M, ‘Pravo na humanitarnu dopomohu pid chas zbroinoho konfliktu i vidpovidalnist za yoho porushennia zghidno z mizhnarodnym pravom’ (2015) 168 Science notes NaUKAMA 93–4 (in Ukrainian).

12. Khmelova I, ‘Instytut vyznannia v konteksti ahresii Rosiiskoi Federatsii na skhodi Ukrainy’ (2017) 3 Chasopys Kyivskoho universytetu prava (in Ukrainian).

13. Hasydzhak L, ‘Etnichnyi sklad naselennia Donbasu: polityzatsiia problemy’ (2007) 22 Etnichna istoriia narodiv Yevropy (in Ukrainian).

14. Sabura O, ‘“DNR” ta “LNR” u naukovomu dyskursi: poshuk terminolohii’ (2017) 20 Visnyk Mariupolskoho derzhavnoho universytetu (in Ukrainian).

Conference papers

15. Kotsur V, ‘Natsionalni menshyny yak instrument hibrydnoi polityky Rosiiskoi Federatsii’ v Suchasni problemy politychnoi systemy Ukrainy: zbirnyk naukovykh prats za materialamy Vseukrainskoi naukovo-praktychnoi internet konferentsii (2016) (in Ukrainian).

16. Lysenko L ta Karasevych A, ‘Referendum yak instytut priamoi demokratii: yevropeiski ta ukrainski realii’ v Liudyna, suspilstvo, polityka: aktualni vyklyky suchasnosti: materialy III Mizhnarodnoi naukovo-praktychnoi konferentsii (Odeska yurydychna akademiia 2016) (in Ukrainian).

17. Lysenko L ta Karasevych A, ‘Referendum yak forma priamoi demokratii v suchasnykh ukrainskykh umovakh’ v Prydniprovski sotsialno-humanitarni chytannia: materialy III vseukrainskoi naukjvoii konferentsii z mizhnarodnoiu uchastiu (2016) (in Ukrainian).

18. Adamovych S, ‘Rosiiskyi slid u formuvanni “novorosiistva” z metoiu dezintehratsii Pivdnia i Skhodu Ukrainy (1990–2016 rr.)’ v Rosiiska okupatsiia i deokupatsiia Ukrainy: istoriia, suchasni zahrozy ta vyklyky sohodennia: materialy Vseukrainskoi naukovopraktychnoi konferentsii (Lesia 2016) (in Ukrainian).

Websites

19. ‘Ukraine rebels hold referendums in Donetsk and Luhansk’ (BBC News, 11.05.2014) <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27360146> (accessed: 06.10.2020) (in English).

20. ‘Update in criminal investigation MH17 disaster’ (Netherlands Public Prosecution Service, 24.05.2018) <https://www.prosecutionservice.nl/topics/mh17-plane-crash/news/2018/05 /24/update-in-criminal-investigation-mh17-disaster> (accessed: 06.10.2020) (in English).

21. ’Database of Russian Aggression’ (InformNapalm, 12.04.2018) <https://informnapalm. org/en/?s=database> (accessed 28.10. 2020) (in English).

22. Parfitt T, ‘Separatist fighter admits Russian tanks, troops ‘decisive in eastern Ukraine battles’’ (The Telegraph, 31.03.2015) <https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/ europe/russia/11506774/Separatist-fighter-admits-Russian-tanks-troops-decisive-ineasternUkraine-battles.html> (accessed: 06.10.2020) (in English).

23. ‘Putin publichno zbrekhav, vidpovidaiuchy na zapytannia zhurnalista pro PVK “Vahnera”: SBU ta InformNapalm vidreahuvaly na yoho brekhniu’ (InformNapalm, 20.12.2020) <https://informnapalm.org/ua/putin-publichno-zbrekhav-vidpovidaiuchy/> (accessed: 28.10.2020) (in Ukrainian).

24. Dorosh S, ‘Iak Azov i Kerchenska protoka postrazhdaly vid aneksii Krymu’ (BBC News Ukraine, 16.03.2020) <https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/features-50486941> (accessed: 28.10.2020) (in Ukrainian).

25. Tokar I ta Annitova I, ‘Azovskyi konflikt: yak Rosiia “vidzhymaie” Azov’ (Krym. Realii. 22.11.2019) <https://ua.krymr.com/a/azovskyi-lonflikt-azovske-more-kerchenska-protoka/ 30287137.html> (accessed: 28.10.2020) (in Ukrainian).

26. Topalov M, ‘“Mertve” more: yak Rosiia znyshchuie sudnoplavstvo na Azovi’ (Ekonomichna pravda, 04.12.2018) <https://www.epravda.com.ua/publications/2018/12/4/643247> (accessed: 28.10.2020) (in Ukrainian).

27. Tsybulenko E, ‘Pochemu ih nelzya nazyivat “separatistami”?’ (Region. Ekspert, 14.10.2010) <https://region.expert/ordlo/> (accessed: 28.10.2020) (in Russian).