Why would people who seceded from the Euromaiden Revolution madness want to fight the people helping them? You really need to rethink your opinions.
Seceded at the point of a gun. Held by Russian “little green men”. Figuratively speaking.
Only Crimea had popular support to shift allegiance to the Kremlin.
in the Donbas, Muscowite forces played at being “separatists”. There was up to 30% to 40% support for the Kremlin, but not the majority, not even a plurality