After having gained control of the Donetsk RSA and having declared the Donetsk People's

Republic, pro-Russian groups vowed to fan out and take control of strategic infrastructure across
Donetsk Oblast, and demanded that public officials who wished to continue their work swear
allegiance to the Republic.[133] By 14 April, pro-Russian separatists had taken control of
government buildings in many other cities within the oblast,
including Mariupol, Horlivka, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Yenakiieve,Makiivka, Druzhkivka,
and Zhdanivka.[134][135][136][137]

First standoff[edit]
In response to the widening unrest, the acting Ukrainian President, Oleksandr Turchynov, vowed
to launch a major "anti-terror" operation against separatist movements in Donetsk Oblast. [138] The
Minister of Internal Affairs, Arsen Avakov, said on 9 April that the unrest in Donetsk Oblast would
be resolved within forty-eight hours, either through negotiations or the use of force. President
Oleksandr Turchynov signed a decree to retake the Donetsk RSA building, and place it "under
state protection,"[139][140] and offered amnesty to the demonstrators if they laid down their arms. [141]

Expansion of territorial control[edit]

Unmarked separatist militants seized the Donetsk city office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on
12 April without resistance.[142] Following negotiations between the militants and those in the
building, the chief of the office resigned from his post.[143] Officers from the Berkut special police
force, which had been dissolved by the government following the February revolution, took part
in the seizure on the separatists' side.[144][145] Following this seizure, the militants began to expand
their control across the city. The municipal administration building was stormed and occupied by
the insurgents on 16 April.[146]Further actions by the separatists resulted in the capture of the
offices of the regional state television network on 27 April.[147] After capturing the broadcasting
centre, the militants began to broadcast Russian television channels. On 4 May, the flag of the
Donetsk People's Republic was raised over the police headquarters in Donetsk city proper.[148]
Attempts to seize the Donetsk Regional State Administration (RSA) building began since proRussian protests erupted in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, in the wake of the 2014
Ukrainian revolution. Pro-Russian protesters occupied the Donetsk RSA from 16 March, before
being removed by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).[116][117] On 6 April, 1,0002,000 people
gathered at a rally in Donetsk to demand a status referendum similar to the one held in Crimea in
March.[118][119]The demonstrators stormed the RSA building, and took control of its first two floors.
They said that if an extraordinary legislative session was not held by regional officials to
implement a status referendum, they would take control of the regional government with a
"people's mandate", and dismiss all elected regional councillors and members of parliament. [120][121]
[122]

As these demands were not met, the activists held a meeting in the RSA building, and voted

in favour of independence from Ukraine. They proclaimed the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).
[123]

Luhansk Oblast[edit]
Unrest in Luhansk Oblast began on 6 April, when approximately 1,000 activists seized and
occupied the SBU building in the city of Luhansk, following similar occupations in the cities
of Donetsk and Kharkiv.[124][125] Protesters barricaded the building, and demanded that all arrested
separatist leaders be released.[124][126] Police were able to retake control of the building, but the
demonstrators regathered for a 'people's assembly' outside the building and called for a 'people's
government', demanding either federalisation or incorporation into the Russian Federation.[127]
[128]

At this assembly, they elected Valery Bolotov to the position of "People's Governor".[129] Two

referendums were announced, one on 11 May to determine whether the region should seek
some form of autonomy, and a second scheduled for 18 May to determine whether the region
should join the Russian Federation, or declare independence.[130]
The Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) was declared on 27 April.[131] Representatives of the
Republic demanded that Ukrainian government provide amnesty for all protesters, enshrine
Russian as an official language, and hold a referendum on the status of the region. [131] They
issued an ultimatum that stated that if Kiev did not meet their demands by 14:00 on 29 April, they
would launch an insurgency in tandem with that of the Donetsk People's Republic.[131][132]