Russian plans extend beyond the two priority demands in the negotiations – independence of Donetsk and Luhansk; and recognising Crimea as Russian territory.

Securing the Donbas region will not suffice to ensure Russian borders are safe from the “anti-Russia” and “pro-West” regime in Kyiv. Therefore, there is no intention of returning to territories in Eastern Ukraine that have been captured and go beyond the Donbas region.

India Today travelled to Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where the process of ‘de-Ukrainisation’ and ‘Russianisation’ of the areas under Russian control has already begun. These areas are under direct Russian control since the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) or Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) cannot stake claim in the areas outside of the Donbas region.

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The captured cities have new acting mayors who have been appointed by Russia, while the Ukrainian mayors either left their position, left the city, or were detained and forcibly removed. Melitopol is a classic example of a sweeping takeover. The mayor appointed by Kyiv, Igor Federov, was detained and later released. Mayor Galina Danil’chenko, who was an opposition leader with pro-Russia leanings, has now been appointed. Ukraine’s prosecutor general opened a treason investigation into Danilchenko. But, the mayor sat on her chair undeterred and determined to follow through the plans of Moscow.

She explained why there was a need to break-away from Ukraine, “Historically, Zaporizhzhia was very close to Russia, not just culturally but also economically. Before 2014, when the coup d’état happened in Kyiv (change in administration after the Euromaidan protests that led to the ouster of Viktor Yanukovych), we had very close ties with Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan after 2014, it was forbidden to export to Russia. Kyiv promised that European markets would buy our products, but it didn’t happen. The EU did not open up for us. Zaporizhzhia is a very big industrial city and many support economic cooperation, political engagement with the Russian Federation.”

The irony is that the ‘Victory Square’, the site of many protests and a place that celebrated Ukrainian identity, its national hero/poet Taras Shevchenko and the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag colours, is now the administrative centre for the Russians.

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The tall flag pole has remnants of a tattered Ukrainian flag. Instead, a Russian flag now flies high over a building which was the ‘Taras Shevchenko Cultural Centre’ and today is the mayor’s office. Long queues of people are registering themselves outside the building to receive aid. Most of them were refugees/displaced people from Mariupol. They are Russian-origin Ukrainians who are fleeing to areas under Russian control. Such is the divide in this country.

When asked if Melitopol and the captured areas of Zaporizhzhia would ever return to Ukraine, should the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine succeed and both agree on the terms regarding Donbas and Crimea, she rejected the idea and proposed a referendum in the region.

“We want to stay with Russia, not Ukraine. We will surely organise a referendum and it will be the decision of the people of our city if they want to be part of the Russian Federation,” she said.

These parts in Eastern Ukraine have been seeing silent revolts too, since there are many Russian population in the region. We also met with the Head of Melitopol District, Siguta Andrew Leonidovich, who said that ‘Russian’ as an official language will be brought back and the city will see a huge change from the yellow and blue to many other colours. On April 25, 2019, Ukraine passed a “language law” banning Russian from its official communication, which Russia termed “discriminatory” and “forced Ukrainization of the country”.

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“We have the example of Crimea where there are three state languages and the people have a right to choose. For our kids in this region where we are mostly Russian speaking, the new laws were very difficult. At home, kids speak Russian, but in schools Ukrainian is made compulsory. They were pushing the Ukrainian language and culture. But, we will give the children a choice between Russian and Ukrainian,” he said.

On a lighter note, he added, “Well, mostly everybody spoke and communicated in Russian, so when the law was introduced there were many mistakes in official documents. In fact, most spoke Russian at meetings too. So, if the language law is removed, everybody will heave a sigh of relief.”

Travelling through Ukraine one realises the great emphasis the government attaches to celebrating the national flag colours and arousing nationalistic feelings. While in Lviv which is in the extreme West, these colours are less visible as you travel from West to East, the colours are more pronounced, making evident the insecurity of the nation in keeping the diverse population together. The Eastern Ukraine, almost all public property is coloured yellow and blue – bus stand, check posts, pavement railings, hospitals, banks even the huge electric poles in the hinterlands.

In the captured territories, the very same bus stands now wear an abandoned look, destroyed infrastructure is bidding goodbye to the colours. The new infrastructure will certainly have no signs of its past masters.

In Berdyansk too, a similar process has begun. Mayor Alexander Sualenko who has also been replaced by Russia while his predecessor left the city, has said that they will let the people decide, reiterating the call for a referendum. “Zaporizhzhia is not going back to Ukraine. Berdyansk will certainly have the Russian flag flying. I have been replaced by Russia for now. But in time, there will be elections here to elect a Mayor and we will also hold a referendum to leave Ukraine,” he said.

Fifty days into the war, these areas are still not integrated but the process has begun. For example, the currency that is being used in these cities is still Ukrainian Grevenia. While there was access to internet, Russian and Donetsk numbers didn’t work. Ukrainian networks were working. Interestingly, the international roaming of the Indian telecom connection started working over there, although the same does not work in the Donbas region since it is considered captured territory and is under heavy sanctions.

There are six critical regions (Oblasts), that Russia is looking at on the eastern front.

To the North of the Donbas region, there are two areas, Sumy and Kharkiv, that have land borders with Russia. It runs. Kilometres.

To the South of the Donbas region stretching upto Moldova are – Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolayiv and Odessa. If these areas are captured then it would be the biggest strategic loss for Ukraine since it will cut Ukraine off from the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, making Ukraine land-locked. Kyiv stands to lose its Naval strength should Moscow succeed. Russia wants Crimea secured and is looking at the huge strategic and economic advantage that it would gain from these parts.

Southern Zaporizhzhia has come under Russian control which includes Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the facility which is actually situated in the city of Enerhodar, in southeastern Ukraine, in the southern shore of the Kakhovka reservoir on the Dnieper River. Thus, creating a natural boundary between the Russian forces, who seized the plant on the ninth day of their invasion, and the Ukrainian forces who are now positioned on the north banks of the river.

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“The power plant is crucial for electricity supply in all these eastern parts. It is good that it is under our control since we need it for future supply as well. It will not be handed back,” said Mayor Alexander Sualenko.

The Russian forces had stormed the facility causing damage to the administrative building, but for now the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which while acknowledging the seriousness of the assault, emphasised that the action took place away from the reactors. IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi made reference to only a single projectile hitting a training building adjacent to the reactor complex.

For Ukraine, it is critical to take control of the plant since it generates more than a fifth of total electricity generated in Ukraine and nearly half of the country’s electricity derived from nuclear power.

Mayor Alexander said that it would never be returned to Ukraine since it is as important to them as it is to Ukraine. It is the main source of electricity for Eastern parts of Ukraine, now under Russian control. A critical infrastructure and hence a fierce battle is on to regain control by the Ukrainians.

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