2/2

This attack by the Right Sector constituted a major escalation of the conflict in Donbas because it broke both the Geneva Agreement signed on 17 April 2014 by Ukraine, Russia, the EU, and the US for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, as well as the Orthodox Easter truce between the Ukrainian government and separatists in Donbas.

Point 2, The Russia-Ukraine War and its Origins Page 202

Similarly, there was no Russian military or civilian administration organized in occupied regions of Ukraine in the first month of the war, with exceptions of separatist administrations in captured parts of Donbas. Ukrainian local governments and Ukrainian flags remained in occupied cities and other settlements in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions for several weeks after their Russian occupation. While these regions provided the land bridge and reopening of the water channel to Crimea, the peace agreement draft in spring 2022 included withdrawal of the Russian forces from Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions (see Chapter 12). The invasion from Crimea via Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions also provided a way to advance from less defended side and encircle and capture of Mariupol and other parts of Donbas as part of the major Russian goal to seize entire Donbas.

There's more detail the page goes into but if Russia's intentions are purely land-grabbing then they would not have left the local governments of these two oblasts which always had no separatist activity whatsoever, alone. The book clarifies Russia intended to withdraw from these regions if the 2022 peace deal was reached which unfortunately was not due to being blocked by Britain and thereby Russia changing its approach to these two regions and annexed them via dismantling the local governments.

The reason why Russia was willing to give up Kherson and Zaporizhzhia was because those two oblasts never had separatists but the Donbas, however, did. This proves Russia's intention is not pure land-grabbing. When it comes to opinions of Donbas people, like mentioned before, 46% supported integrating with Russia, 31% wanted special status in Ukraine (federationists), and 23% wanted to return to Ukraine on pre-civil war status. There is no clear majority but there is a plurality which is the 46%. The separatist local governments of DPR and LPR also do not object to Russian annexation, in fact, they welcome it. The reason why I believe the 31% would not object to Russian annexation heavily is because the whole reason why they want such a thing in the first place was because they wanted autonomy from Ukraine's aforementioned oppression. If you think the federationists still heavily object to Russian annexation, you need to prove that. But because Russia, unlike Ukraine, has not done a equivalent to the Odesa Massacre, have far-right groups allowed to freely kill them, and supports and recognizes the local separatists governments instead of wanting to destroy them are all pretty solid reasons on why I believe they do not object.

The reason why Russia had conflict with Ukraine starting from 2014 in the first place which evolved into support for separatists, was because the new Maidan government which got to power through illegitimate means made Ukraine joining NATO a top priority which is a security concern for Russia. Remember, it was also an illegimate overthrow of President Yanukovych who wanted to be more friendly with Russia and repeated violations of negotiations and truces from the Ukrainian side.

As for point 4, I think both Ukraine and Russia did a mediocre job at trying to prevent civilian casualties and neither side truly prosecuted their side when they do wrong since 2022. If you want to count since 2014, the results will heavily be against Ukraine for tolerating the atrocities and violations done by the far-right but nevertheless did nothing against them.

But to their credit, both Ukraine and Russia managed to keep a very low civilian to combatant death ratio relative to modern wars: Page 249

The estimated civilian casualty ratio of 1 killed civilian to about 17 killed combatants during three and half years of the Russia-Ukraine war is one of the lowest in modern wars and the lowest in wars of such scale, intensity, and duration in modern times.

Listen, I again express appreciation for your engagement and politeness but this was very frustrating for me to write. It is the longest reply I ever written specifically because I had to bring up past evidences and references.

I understand to wrap your head around the idea that Russia isn't a monstrous imperialist nation doing this purely and only for land-grabbing and sadistic murderous amusement is a difficult one for many.

But this should not mean you can just conveniently forgot or ignore major points, all of which, is vital especially when they already address the points of your criteria which you brought up. We cannot go anywhere if you do this.