The Donetsk People’s Republic

Subscribe to VICE News here: As an uneasy ceasefire continues to hold in Eastern Ukraine, VICE News returns to Donetsk with an exclusive film that follows some of the characters involved in setting up the self-proclaimed state of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). In early April 2014, pro-Russia rebels seized the regional administration building and other key institutions in Donetsk, expelling Ukrainian officials and raising their own flag. The rebellion here — and other incidents elsewhere — quickly escalated into a bloody civil war that has left over 2,000 people dead and displaced more than a million. Filmed over six weeks, this documentary follows the chaotic birth of the DPR as it tries to forge a path to independence and closer ties to Russia. Click to watch “Crimea: A Look Inside the New Russian Territory“ - Check out the VICE News beta for more: Follow VICE News here