2014 Donbas status referendums

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Referendums on the status of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, parts of Ukraine that together make up the Donbas region, were claimed to have taken place on 11 May 2014 in many towns under the control of the Russian-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. These referendums intended to legitimise the establishment of the unrecognized states, in the context of the Russian invasion of Crimea and rising pro-Russian unrest in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution. In addition, a counter-referendum on accession to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast was held in some Ukrainian-controlled parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Independent observers reported many irregularities and the results of the separatist referendums were not officially recognised by any government, including those of Ukraine, the United States, and the countries of the European Union. The Ukrainian government called the referendum "illegal", and a number of nations—such as Germany, the United States, France, and the United...

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