ISSN 2360-7998
Abstract: Pro-Western Ukrainians organised a revolution that led to the removal of pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych from office in 2014, sparking the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Similarly, the Russian invasion of the Crimea peninsula, a territory owned by Ukraine, signifies a strong political gesture that has been the casus belli of the war between the two nations, arising from a complex historical background, the struggle to build a national identity, and political power. The war shows no signs of abating and has continued to drive humanitarian crises across the country, especially in the Donetsk region. The intense hostilities and fights have left over 17 million people, representing 40 percent of the country's population, in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection. In the Donetsk region, the hostilities have resulted in the deaths of many civilians, including women and children, the internal displacement of millions of people, and the destruction of critical infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, electricity, and water supply systems. Therefore, this paper employs the power theory to explain how Russian military actions, motivated by its national interest, led to war in Ukraine and ultimately resulted in the humanitarian crisis in the Donetsk region. The paper relied on the time series research design, which utilized the documentary method of data generation. Content analysis was used. This paper found that the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine led to the humanitarian crisis in the Donetsk region. The paper recommended that Russia should pursue its interest in Ukraine through diplomatic means and cooperation, not military actions leading to the humanitarian crisis in the country, especially in Donetsk.
Keywords: War, Humanitarian Crisis, Invasion, Internal Displacement, Destruction