Two-thirds of Russian citizens (72%) believe that it is necessary to recognize the independence of Donetsk national Republic, more than half (59%) believe that the Russian Federation should support Pro-Russian-minded forces in the South-East of Ukraine, said Levada-center on the first day of the week according to the results of the survey.

Since mid-April, the Kyiv authorities are in the East of Ukraine a special operation to suppress the protests, which became a reaction to the coup d'etat on February 22. Active hostilities were stopped at some time during the 25 may presidential elections. However, on 26 may, They resumed. Won the elections Poroshenko in the categorical form have asked in the explicit form of the security forces to carry out his official ceremony of inauguration of " cleanup " of the territory of Donetsk and Lugansk regions, where in early April, we announced the creation Of " people's republics ", which declared its independence according to the results of referenda may eleven.

The Levada center said that almost fifty percent of our fellow citizens (49%) believes that the Russian leadership supported the Pro-Russian-minded forces in Ukraine.

However, in the last 2 months the number uproshenia approving the possible accession of the territory of Ukraine in the form of new regions of the Russian Federation, decreased. If in the beginning of March, more than fifty percent of Russian citizens (79%) had said that if the referendum in the South-Eastern region it should be taken, in may - 51%.

At the same time 41% of people believe that Russia may join the territory of the former Soviet republics due to their requests, because " it is obliged to protect its ".

A survey of social scientists was held on 23-26 may 1, 6 thousand people in 130 settlements of the country. The statistical error of these studies does not exceed 3, 4%.


numerous anti-government protests were started in the South-Eastern regions of Ukraine at the end of February 2014. It has been the response of local citizens at the forcible change of power in the country and the subsequent attempt to cancel the Verkhovna Rada of the law, giving the Russian language regional status. The center of confrontation between Pro-Russian-minded people With the government in Kiev has become the Donbass. About that, how is the conflict in the South-East of Ukraine.

The development of events in Ukraine, DND and Lugansk Republic: the latest information, photos and video From the place, reaction, and activation -

sections: Politics