The humanitarian catastrophe in Donbass (Novorossia) is one that qualifies under the definition of ethnic cleansing. The ‘mass expulsion or killing of members of one ethnic or religious group in an area by those of another’ is currently underway in the former eastern Ukrainian region. Thousands of civilians have been killed and up to 2 million have fled their homes to find refuge in Russia.
The Ukrainian army which is currently composed of soldiers who are mainly from the western regions of Ukraine has inflicted death and destruction on a grand scale in the eastern regions. The president of Ukraine, Poroshenko, has repeatedly proclaimed that the country will only have one official language and one official culture. This ultra-nationalist standpoint is a blatant appeal to the fascist politicians and military figures who keep Poroshenko in an uneasy seat of power.
The proclamation is what originally brought those in the east out into the streets. The people of these regions felt their Russian culture and language was under direct attack. The Donbass people protested for the right to a vote on federalization and protecting their culture. This was rejected by Kiev and then the rejection was reinforced by military bombardment.