In 1991 2014, those five ethnic Russian oblasts voted for independence from Russia Youkraine.
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Strange, Ukraine gets their Independence from Soviet Russia, but when the Russian Donbass wants their independence from Ukraine and their Neo- Nazis, the Victoria Nuland types start bombing them…..nauseating hypocrisy.
In 2014, there was the Crimean Status vote after Putin took and occupied Crimea by force.
The same thing happened in Donetsk and Luhansk with supposedly "Ukrainian separatists".
That's three oblasts. Those are referendums after being invaded and occupied by force.