Originally Posted by
etudiant
Could you source that, please.
It sounds very definitive, but is not in line with the only comments from international observers that I remember seeing. Those comments specifically noted an absence of Russian forces.
Afaik, this began as a popular insurgency, kicked off by sizable elements of the Ukraine army turning against the government which they deemed hostile to Russian speaking Ukraine..
It is beyond dispute that regular Russian forces were fighting in Eastern Ukraine by summer 2014. There is a vast literature on the subject, and I don't think that anyone serious (and sincere) would claim differently. Here are a few example. You may also recall that the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade rather famously shot down a Malaysian airliner around this time.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150508...aine_FINAL.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...led-in-ukraine
https://video.vice.com/en_us/video/s...8008e821c71e52