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From Bombs to Autonomy: Donetsk Eager for Recognition of Independence

© Sputnik / Maks Vetrov / Go to the mediabankResidents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic are urging others to recognize their country as an independent state
Residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic are urging others to recognize their country as an independent state - Sputnik International
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Residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic are urging others to recognize their country as an independent state, according to Nela Liskova, a member of a Czech public organization.

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In an interview with Sputnik, Nela Liskova, a member of the Czech public organization Narodni Domobrana (People's Militia), specifically pointed to a strong desire among the residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) to see the early international recognition of the republic, which is located in Eastern Ukraine.

The interview came after the organization's visit to the DPR earlier this month.

"I got the impression that people there already feel like they are citizens of an independent state. They also want the DPR to be recognized at an international level as soon as possible," Liskova said.

According to her, life has gradually started to return back to normal in the DPR even though the sound of shooting can be heard sometimes.

"There is peace and security in Donetsk, but at a distance of 20 kilometers from the city, we heard gunfire and exploding shells, something that was certainly not military drills," she added.

Kiev launched a special military operation in Ukraine's southeastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions in April 2014, after local residents refused to recognize the new Ukrainian authorities, which had come to power as a result of a coup.

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The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, established in Ukraine's southeast after the May 2014 independence referendums, have been calling for more autonomy from Kiev.

In February 2015, a peace agreement was signed between the two sides in the Belarusian capital, Minsk. The agreement has several provisions, including a full ceasefire, a weapons withdrawal from the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, and an all-for-all prisoner exchange.
Despite the Minsk peace deal, sporadic shelling continues in Ukraine's southeast.

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