Demographic Potential and Ethno­Linguistic Structure of Population of the Donbas (Ukraine­Subordinated and Occupied Terrains)

Author

Skliar Volodymyr – a Doctor of History, a professor, a Head of the National Technological University Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute (NTU KhPI)’s Subdepartment of Science and Technology History

Demographic Potential and Ethno­Linguistic Structure of Population of the Donbas (Ukraine­Subordinated and Occupied Terrains)

Abstract

The article determines the territorial and demographic losses of Ukraine due to hybrid warfare unleashed by Russia in 2014. Based on analysing statistical data, there have been ascertained the determinative features of ethno-linguistic structure of population of the Ukraine-subordinated and occupied territories of Donbas. It has been established that the overwhelming majority of the Donbas population found themselves on the occupied territories. It has been proven that Ukrainians constituted the absolute majority within the overall number of population on the Ukraine‑subordinated and uncontrolled territories. Due to the fact that a considerable part of Ukrainians was assimilated by language (i.e., Russified), the Ukrainian-speaking population has become outnumbered, taking into account the whole of population of the occupied Donbas territories. Regardless of the Russians being a minority among ethnic groups of the Donbas, on these occupied territories, in terms of number, prevailed the Russian-speaking population. The level of linguistic Ukrainization of Russian ethnic minority was minimal (less than 1 %). Territorial representation of ethnic minorities, except for Russians, remained quite insignificant on the uncontrolled territories of the Donbass, while the overwhelming majority of them turned out to be Russified by language. The Ukrainian-speaking Donbas population consisted almost exclusively of Ukrainian-speaking Ukrainians. Within the Russian-speaking population, the fraction of Russian-speaking Russians scarcely surpassed the half, while the part of Russian-speaking Ukrainian made up over 40 %.

It is emphasized that that sooner or later Ukraine will reestablish its territorial integrity within the internationally recognized state boundaries. It is indicated that the Russian aggression, occupation of Crimea and a part of Donbas convincingly attests once again that the current Kremlin government continues to pursue its traditional imperialist policy, hiding behind the ideas of the Russian World with no place for independent Ukraine.

Keywords

Ukraine, Donbas, hybrid warfare, occupied and occupancy-free terrains, number and ethno-linguistic structure of population, Ukrainians, Russians, Russians-except ethnic minorities, Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking populations.

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