---
title: "I can believe that Zelensky sincerely believes in a Ukraine independent from Rus…"
source: "https://x.com/panchenko_x/status/2108085951280853112"
platform: "X / Twitter"
factual_accuracy: 48
overall_accuracy: 5
tags: ["ukraine", "zelensky", "russia", "donetsk", "donbas", "ukraine war", "infrastructure", "energy"]
---

# Source fact-check: I can believe that Zelensky sincerely believes in a Ukraine independent from Rus…

Original post: https://x.com/panchenko_x/status/2108085951280853112
Factual accuracy: 48% · Overall accuracy: 5%

## Source post

**Target post by @panchenko_x**

> I can believe that Zelensky sincerely believes in a Ukraine independent from Russia.
>
> He is an actor. He can inhabit any role.
>
> But the problem is that every road, every bridge, every house in Ukraine was built by Russia.
>
> Russia also brought electricity and heating to Ukraine.
>
> During the period of independence, a few projects were carried out in Ukraine - they were built by Russian oligarchs.
>
> Or by businessmen from Donetsk, an industrial region controlled by Russia.
>
> In effect, if everything Russian is rejected, Ukraine should be left almost a bare field.
>
> Does Zelensky understand this?

## Post analysis

Verdict: 5% · Model: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · Checked on: 08/10/2026

##### Assessment

- The post's core argument is that Ukraine's entire built environment — "every road, every bridge, every house," plus its electricity and heating — was created by Russia, and that post-independence projects came only from Russian or Donetsk oligarchs, so rejecting everything Russian would leave Ukraine "a bare field."
- That central claim is essentially the "modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia" narrative and is rated false (2%)[^1]; the electricity/heating claim is likewise false (5%)[^2], since Ukraine generates its own power and Russia has in fact been destroying that infrastructure.
- The "Russian oligarchs built the few projects" claim is rated 10%[^3] — post-independence construction was dominated by *Ukrainian* oligarchs (SCM/Akhmetov, Privat/Kolomoyskyi, Interpipe/Pinchuk) and the Ukrainian state, not Russians.
- The Donetsk-businessmen claim is rated 25%[^4]: Donetsk tycoons were prominent, but many major projects were built by oligarchs from other regions, the state, and foreign contractors — the post overstates this as a general rule.
- The two true claims are peripheral and used rhetorically: Zelensky is indeed an actor (99%)[^5], and Donetsk is an industrial region (100%)[^6].
- The Donetsk "controlled by Russia" claim (95%)[^7] is misleading in context: it is true of the city *today*, but during Ukraine's independence period (1991–2014) Donetsk was part of Ukraine, so its businessmen were Ukrainian, not Russian agents — the post uses present-day occupation to retroactively frame Ukrainian actors as Russian.
- The concluding implication — that removing Russian contributions leaves Ukraine "almost a bare field" — is a synthesis built entirely on the false premises above and is therefore false.
- Overall: the post's central factual claims are overwhelmingly false, and the lone true claims are side remarks or contextually distorted.

**Overall validity**: 5%

[^1]:
    [Every road, every bridge, and every house in Ukraine was built by Russia.](#0c51d065-c383-4cc0-be65-4a1649905b51)

[^2]:
    [Russia brought electricity and heating to Ukraine.](#a50ed18c-8be2-467f-b69e-49c8dcd26848)

[^3]:
    [During Ukraine's period of independence, the few projects carried out in Ukraine were built by Russian oligarchs.](#e21be1e7-8d07-4c8d-8739-ca35a6806203)

[^4]:
    [During Ukraine's period of independence, projects carried out in Ukraine were built by businessmen from Donetsk.](#1668c3dd-e54d-45da-8c34-24751a1770d7)

[^5]:
    [Volodymyr Zelensky is an actor.](#daedea9c-f3c3-4e43-8fc6-45bab214699e)

[^6]:
    [Donetsk is an industrial region.](#24c9ec85-dc06-44bf-82cd-dc776d39b56e)

[^7]:
    [Donetsk is controlled by Russia.](#d0bef6c2-cbe0-48ba-b861-7d8f64a13936)

## Claims found (7)

<a id="daedea9c-f3c3-4e43-8fc6-45bab214699e"></a>
### 1. Volodymyr Zelensky is an actor. — 99%

Model: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · Checked on: 08/10/2026 · Detail: /claim/daedea9c-f3c3-4e43-8fc6-45bab214699e

**Reasoning:**

- Britannica's biography explicitly describes Volodymyr Zelensky as "a Ukrainian actor and comedian who was elected president of Ukraine in 2019," and notes that before politics he was an actor and comedian who co-founded Studio Kvartal 95 and played the lead role in *Servant of the People*[^1].
- EBSCO's biography confirms he "gained fame as a comedian and actor, especially noted for his role in the sitcom *Servant of the People*," transitioning from a successful entertainment career to the presidency in 2019[^2].
- Wikipedia details his film and television career — acting, scriptwriting, direction, and production — including starring roles in *Servant of the People*, *Love in the Big City*, and *Office Romance. Our Time*, after obtaining a law degree but choosing comedy and entertainment instead[^3].
- Additional coverage reiterates that he was a popular actor and comedian before leading Ukraine[^4][^5].

The claim is straightforwardly and unambiguously supported by multiple authoritative biographical sources.

**Overall validity**: 99%

[^1]:
    [Volodymyr Zelensky | Biography, Facts, Presidency, & Russian Invasion of Ukraine | Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Volodymyr-Zelensky)

[^2]:
    [Volodymyr Zelensky | Biography | Research Starters | EBSCOhost](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/volodymyr-zelensky)

[^3]:
    [Volodymyr Zelenskyy - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy)

[^4]:
    [Who is Volodymyr Zelensky? Here's what we know about the ...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEqcjgBs3MU)

[^5]:
    [A look at Zelenskyy's TV career](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IrQVfOD-ws)

<a id="0c51d065-c383-4cc0-be65-4a1649905b51"></a>
### 2. Every road, every bridge, and every house in Ukraine was built by Russia. — 2%

Model: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · Checked on: 08/10/2026 · Detail: /claim/0c51d065-c383-4cc0-be65-4a1649905b51

The claim is an absolute universal statement, and it traces back to Vladimir Putin's revisionist narrative that "modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia."

- **Fact-checkers rated the core claim false.** The Washington Post fact-checked Putin's assertion that "modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia or, to be more precise, by Bolshevik, Communist Russia" and rated it **False**[^1]. The claim under review is an even more extreme, absolute version of that narrative.
- **Ukraine's built environment long predates Russia.** Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities contain structures over a millennium old (e.g., 11th-century Kievan Rus' architecture) that predate the emergence of Russia as a state, and were certainly not built by Russia.
- **Ukraine has built major infrastructure itself since independence (1991).** Ukrainian sources describe a recent project as "the largest infrastructure project since the declaration of Ukraine's independence"[^2][^3], and the country's transport, energy, and housing stock is maintained and expanded by Ukraine and international partners[^4][^5] — not solely by Russia.
- **The "entirely created by Russia" framing is a documented imperial-revisionist trope**, which historians reject as denying Ukraine a separate national existence[^6][^7].
- **A kernel of truth exists** — a large share of Ukraine's heavy industry and infrastructure was constructed during the Soviet era, and Russia was the dominant republic of the USSR — but this does not make the universal claim ("every road, bridge, and house") true, since that quantifier is plainly false.

**Overall validity**: 2%

[^1]:
    [Fact-checking Putin’s speech on Ukraine](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/23/fact-checking-putins-speech-ukraine/)

[^2]:
    [Ukraine completes largest construction project since ...](https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/08/12/7470083)

[^3]:
    [Ukraine completes largest construction project since ...](https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-completes-largest-construction-project-141508268.html)

[^4]:
    [Ukraine - Reconstruction and Infrastructure](https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/ukraine-reconstruction-and-infrastructure)

[^5]:
    [Rebuilding Ukraine’s Infrastructure after the War (publication)](https://wiiw.ac.at/rebuilding-ukraine-s-infrastructure-after-the-war-p-6621.html)

[^6]:
    [Vladimir Putin has just claimed that modern Ukraine was ...](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/sy1kua/vladimir_putin_has_just_claimed_that_modern)

[^7]:
    [Vladimir Putin’s Revisionist History of Russia and Ukraine | The New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/vladimir-putins-revisionist-history-of-russia-and-ukraine)

<a id="a50ed18c-8be2-467f-b69e-49c8dcd26848"></a>
### 3. Russia brought electricity and heating to Ukraine. — 5%

Model: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · Checked on: 08/10/2026 · Detail: /claim/a50ed18c-8be2-467f-b69e-49c8dcd26848

Based on my research, here's my assessment:

- The claim frames Russia as the provider/benefactor of Ukraine's electricity and heating. In reality, since its full-scale invasion, Russia has done the opposite — systematically attacking Ukraine's power and heating infrastructure.
- By mid-2024, Russian strikes had knocked out roughly half of Ukraine's high-voltage substations and left the country with about a third of its pre-war generating capacity; 18 major combined heat and power plants and 800+ boiler houses were rendered inoperable[^1][^2].
- Repeated Russian barrages have cut power and heating in cities such as Odesa, Sumy, Kyiv and Kharkiv, leaving millions without electricity, heat and water in sub-zero temperatures — described by officials as "systematic energy terror"[^3][^4][^5][^6].
- Intercepted Russian planning documents reportedly aim to cut electricity and heating to Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa by up to 90%[^7].
- Ukraine's electricity is generated domestically (nuclear \~50%+) and imported from the EU, not Russia; Ukraine halted direct gas imports from Russia in 2015, and its grid was disconnected from the Russian/Belarusian system in 2022[^8][^9][^10].
- The only kernel of truth is historical and indirect: the Soviet Union (not modern Russia) built much of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and Russia supplied some gas/electricity before 2015–2021, and provides services in occupied areas. But as stated — crediting Russia with bringing Ukraine electricity and heating — the claim is false.

**Overall validity**: 5%

[^1]:
    [Ukrainian energy crisis - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_energy_crisis)

[^2]:
    [Electricity in Ukraine - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_in_Ukraine)

[^3]:
    [Russia Pummels Ukraine's Power Grid Before Talks](https://energynow.com/2026/02/russia-pummels-ukraines-power-grid-before-talks)

[^4]:
    [How Ukraine is decentralising its energy system to improve energy security](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd9CdXdyRao)

[^5]:
    ['Normal life has disappeared': Russia's energy offensive plunges Ukraine into dark and bitter cold - ABC News](https://abcnews.com/International/normal-life-disappeared-russias-energy-offensive-plunges-ukraine/story?id=129557876)

[^6]:
    [Russia revels in Ukraine energy crisis it caused | The Bell](https://en.thebell.io/russia-revels-in-ukraine-energy-crisis-it-caused)

[^7]:
    [Russia Plans to Cut 90% of Power, Heat and Water in Ukraine’s Biggest Cities](https://www.kyivpost.com/post/85948)

[^8]:
    [Ukraine's energy sector is a key battleground in the war with Russia | Brookings](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/ukraines-energy-sector-is-a-key-battleground-in-the-war-with-russia)

[^9]:
    [Country Analysis Brief: Ukraine](https://www.eia.gov/international/content/analysis/countries_short/Ukraine/Ukraine.pdf)

[^10]:
    [A Rebirth in Flame: Ukraine’s Beleaguered Energy System - CEPA](https://cepa.org/article/a-rebirth-in-flame-ukraines-beleaguered-energy-system)

<a id="e21be1e7-8d07-4c8d-8739-ca35a6806203"></a>
### 4. During Ukraine's period of independence, the few projects carried out in Ukraine were built by Russian oligarchs. — 10%

Model: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · Checked on: 08/10/2026 · Detail: /claim/e21be1e7-8d07-4c8d-8739-ca35a6806203

##### Reasoning

- The claim is a sweeping overgeneralization that traces to the same imperial-revisionist narrative as the verified database claim *"Every road, every bridge, and every house in Ukraine was built by Russia,"* which fact-checkers rated **2% (false)** — a variant of Putin's "modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia" trope[^1].
- Ukraine's post-independence economy and industries were dominated by **Ukrainian** oligarchs, not Russian ones[^2][^3]. A large share of industry was controlled by Ukrainian groups such as SCM (Akhmetov), Privat (Kolomoyskyi), Interpipe (Pinchuk), and the Industrial Union of Donbas[^4].
- Ukrainian oligarchs and the Ukrainian state built major projects after 1991: Rinat Akhmetov's SCM built the EURO 2012 stadium in Donetsk[^5] and has invested roughly $4 billion in Ukrainian infrastructure construction[^6][^7]; Victor Pinchuk's Interpipe built a \~$700 million metallurgical plant[^8]; the Industrial Union of Donbas invested \~$2 billion in modernization[^8]. UNIAN even compiled a list of the *30 best construction projects in independent Ukraine*[^9], contradicting the idea that "few projects" existed.
- Russian oligarchs did have a large **ownership** presence in Ukraine (e.g., 53 tycoons holding 112 companies worth \~$167 million, plus assets like Ocean Plaza and Kyivstar stakes)[^10][^11][^12], but this reflects ownership of assets — many of them Soviet-era — rather than their being the *builders* of Ukraine's projects.
- Russian oligarch-built construction is documented mainly in the **occupied territories** (Mariupol, Luhansk, Crimea) *after 2022*, not across Ukraine during its whole independence[^13][^14][^15] — a different context from the claim.
- So the claim's core assertion — that Ukraine's projects were built by Russian oligarchs — is contradicted by the record of Ukrainian oligarchs, the Ukrainian state, and international partners doing the building. It conflates Russian asset ownership with construction and wildly understates Ukrainian agency.

**Overall validity**: 10%

[^1]:
    [Every road, every bridge, and every house in Ukraine was built by Russia.](#0c51d065-c383-4cc0-be65-4a1649905b51)

[^2]:
    [Ukraine’s economy went from Soviet chaos to oligarch domination to vital global trader of wheat and neon – and now Russian devastation](https://theconversation.com/ukraines-economy-went-from-soviet-chaos-to-oligarch-domination-to-vital-global-trader-of-wheat-and-neon-and-now-russian-devastation-178971)

[^3]:
    [Ukraine's most powerful oligarchs: Where are they now?](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qSC-6AxoFEY?xstg=CAMSBhUDze3xHw%3D%3D)

[^4]:
    [Ukrainian oligarchs - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_oligarchs)

[^5]:
    [A Pact with the Oligarchs](https://neweasterneurope.eu/2013/07/14/a-pact-with-the-oligarchs)

[^6]:
    [Rinat Akhmetov's SCM has invested $4 billion in Ukraine's ...](https://www.courier-journal.com/press-release/story/153835/rinat-akhmetovs-scm-has-invested-4-billion-in-ukraines-recovery-and-new-infrastructure-construction)

[^7]:
    [Rinat Akhmetov's SCM has invested $4 billion in Ukraine's ...](https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/press-release/story/46654/rinat-akhmetovs-scm-has-invested-4-billion-in-ukraines-recovery-and-new-infrastructure-construction)

[^8]:
    [The future of Ukrainian Oligarchs - Wilson Center](https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/event/the_future_of_ukrainian_oligarchs.pdf)

[^9]:
    [UNIT.City is on the list of the 30 best construction projects in independent Ukraine - UFUTURE](https://ufuture.com/en/unit-city-is-on-the-list-of-the-30-best-construction-projects-in-independent-ukraine)

[^10]:
    [NGO: 88 Ukrainian companies owned by Russian military industry-linked oligarchs not confiscated](https://kyivindependent.com/ngo-88-ukrainian-companies-owned-by-russian-oligarchs-linked-to-russias-military-industry-not-yet-confiscated)

[^11]:
    [Confiscating Russian Oligarchs’ Assets in Ukraine: The First Successes | Royal United Services Institute](https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/confiscating-russian-oligarchs-assets-ukraine-first-successes)

[^12]:
    [What Russian oligarchs owned and still own in Ukraine news / The New Voice of Ukraine](https://english.nv.ua/business/what-russian-oligarchs-owned-and-still-own-in-ukraine-news-50308941.html)

[^13]:
    [Oligarchs, “united russia” Members, and a Brot...](https://szru.gov.ua/en/news-media/news/oligarchs-united-russia-members-and-a-brother-from-the-administration-the-real-owners-of-construction-projects-in-ukraines-temporarily-occupied-territories-have-been-identified)

[^14]:
    [Russian oligarch Yevtushenkov and relatives of high-profile officials profit from construction in occupied territories of Ukraine — The Insider](https://theins.press/en/news/296676)

[^15]:
    [Oligarchs from Putin's entourage acquire land in occupied Crimea for large-scale construction projects | Ukrainska Pravda](https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/10/05/7478226)

<a id="1668c3dd-e54d-45da-8c34-24751a1770d7"></a>
### 5. During Ukraine's period of independence, projects carried out in Ukraine were built by businessmen from Donetsk. — 25%

Model: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · Checked on: 08/10/2026 · Detail: /claim/1668c3dd-e54d-45da-8c34-24751a1770d7

Based on my research, here is my analysis:

**Reasoning:**

- The claim is a sweeping overgeneralization about who built Ukraine's projects during its independence period.
- Donetsk businessmen were genuinely among Ukraine's most powerful economic actors: the "Donetsk Clan" (Rinat Akhmetov, Serhiy Taruta, Dmytro Firtash, Borys Kolesnikov, etc.) emerged from the Donbas and, between roughly 1994 and 2014, assumed dominant economic and political influence over the country[^1][^2][^3]. Akhmetov's SCM financed the \~$400 million Donbass Arena (opened 2009), and the Industrial Union of Donbas invested heavily in modernization[^4][^5][^6].
- However, the claim overstates this role as a general rule. Many of Ukraine's major post-independence projects were built by oligarchs from **other** regions (Ihor Kolomoyskyi of Dnipro; Viktor Pinchuk; Oleksandr Yaroslavskyi of Kharkiv, who part-funded the Kharkiv stadium), by the **Ukrainian state** (e.g., reconstruction of the Olimpiyskiy in Kyiv), and by **foreign contractors** (Turkey's ENKA built the Donbass Arena, UK's Arup designed it, the pitch was grown in Slovakia)[^6][^7][^4].
- The claim closely mirrors a verified database claim — "the few projects carried out in Ukraine were built by Russian oligarchs" — which was rated **10%** as a sweeping overgeneralization that understates the range of Ukrainian and other actors involved[^4]. Ukraine's post-independence industry was controlled by a mix of Ukrainian groups (SCM/Akhmetov, Privat/Kolomoyskyi, Interpipe/Pinchuk, ISD), not a single region[^4].
- So the claim contains a kernel of truth (Donetsk businessmen were prominent builders of major projects) but is largely false as a universal attribution.

**Overall validity**: 25%

[^1]:
    [The Consolidation of Ukrainian Business Clans | Cairn.info](https://shs.cairn.info/revue-internationale-d-intelligence-economique-1-2010-1-page-119?lang=en)

[^2]:
    [Donetsk Clan - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donetsk_Clan)

[^3]:
    [Donetsk | Facts, Region, & Occupation | Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/place/Donetsk-Ukraine)

[^4]:
    [During Ukraine's period of independence, the few projects carried out in Ukraine were built by Russian oligarchs.](#e21be1e7-8d07-4c8d-8739-ca35a6806203)

[^5]:
    [Donbas Arena - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donbas_Arena)

[^6]:
    [Что нам стоит стадион построить - ДД](https://durdom.in.ua/uk/main/article/article_id/1232.phtml)

[^7]:
    [Euro 2012 – Ukraine’s wasted opportunity? | OSW Centre for Eastern Studies](https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/osw-commentary/2012-06-08/euro-2012-ukraines-wasted-opportunity)

<a id="24c9ec85-dc06-44bf-82cd-dc776d39b56e"></a>
### 6. Donetsk is an industrial region. — 100%

Model: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · Checked on: 08/10/2026 · Detail: /claim/24c9ec85-dc06-44bf-82cd-dc776d39b56e

**Reasoning:**

- Donetsk (the city and the surrounding oblast/region) is consistently described as an industrial region centered on coal mining, steel, and heavy manufacturing.
- Britannica describes Donetsk as "the most prominent city within the Donets Basin (Donbas) industrial region," established as a hub for coal mining and steel production[^1].
- The Encyclopedia of Ukraine states "Donetsk oblast is one of the most developed industrial regions of Ukraine," containing the country's principal mining and metallurgical complex[^2].
- Additional sources corroborate this: the region "developed rapidly as a center for mining and steel production, as well as machine manufacturing"[^3], and Donetsk lies "at the heart of Ukraine's coal mining region"[^4].
- Even Ukraine's own foreign ministry describes "the Donetsk region is known for its natural wonders, industrial power"[^5].

This is a straightforward, uncontested geographic/economic characterization supported by multiple independent references.

**Overall validity**: 100%

[^1]:
    [Donetsk | Facts, Region, & Occupation | Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/place/Donetsk-Ukraine)

[^2]:
    [Donetsk oblast](https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CD%5CO%5CDonetskoblast.htm)

[^3]:
    [History of Ukrainian Mining City of Donetsk \[Coal-rich Donets/Donbas Basin\] – Republic of Mining](https://republicofmining.com/2014/03/25/history-of-ukrainian-mining-city-of-donetsk-coal-rich-donetsdonbas-basin)

[^4]:
    [Donetsk city guide | UEFA EURO 2012 | UEFA.com](https://pt.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0254-0d7c97560451-e438dea6c81c-1000--donetsk-city-guide)

[^5]:
    [🇺🇦 The Donetsk region is known for its natural wonders ...](https://www.facebook.com/UkraineUA.MFA/posts/-the-donetsk-region-is-known-for-its-natural-wonders-industrial-power-and-people/843474937811457)

<a id="d0bef6c2-cbe0-48ba-b861-7d8f64a13936"></a>
### 7. Donetsk is controlled by Russia. — 95%

Model: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · Checked on: 08/10/2026 · Detail: /claim/d0bef6c2-cbe0-48ba-b861-7d8f64a13936

##### Reasoning

- "Donetsk" most naturally refers to the city of Donetsk, the administrative center of Donetsk Oblast. The city has been held by Russian-backed forces since April 2014 and is administered as the capital of the Russia-backed Donetsk People's Republic, which Russia formally annexed in 2022[^1][^2][^3].
- Multiple sources confirm Russia holds the city itself: Wikipedia states Donetsk is "currently occupied by Russia" and that "as of June 2026, Russia has full control of the city, with Ukrainian and Russian forces still in combat near the city"[^3][^1]. The BBC likewise lists the city of Donetsk as under Russian military control[^4].
- If the term is instead read as the wider Donetsk region, Russia does not control all of it — it holds roughly 83–85% of Donetsk Oblast, per Russian figures, with Ukrainian forces still contesting the remainder[^5][^6]. This regional nuance is the only source of ambiguity.
- For the city (the plain reading), Russian control is well established and long-standing, so the claim is essentially correct.

**Overall validity**: 95%

[^1]:
    [Russia controls 25 % of Ukrainian territory](/claim/tlykJDr7LQYGoLxPS2JD)

[^2]:
    [Donetsk People's Republic - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donetsk_People%27s_Republic)

[^3]:
    [Donetsk - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donetsk)

[^4]:
    [Ukraine in maps: Tracking the war with Russia](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l0k4389g2o)

[^5]:
    [Ukraine's fortress cities under fire as Russia bids to seize rest of Donbas](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyz89w59l3o)

[^6]:
    [Russia says Ukraine controls 15–17% of Donetsk region](https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-says-ukraine-controls-1517-donetsk-region-2026-03-10)