Donbass is the home of the Cossacks. You may have heard of them. Cossacks drink, mine coal, and fight Russian wars. That is nearly all they know. The Ukronazis thought they could cleanse them out of Ukraine. The Cossacks were seriously outnumbered and under-armed in 2015. But when the cleansing attacks began, hardened Cossack military veterans returned from active Russian military service to bolster the home front, bringing their weapons with them. Ukraine's inexperienced regular military was gutted like a fish vrs hardened battlefield troops.. From 2015 'til now, Ukraine has been rebuilding it's army. The Cossacks have held the line. It doesn't matter that the Ukrainians have new NATO weapons and training. It doesn't matter that they have amassed superior numbers. The army is still green. The outcome would not be any different. That Russia stepped in to settle the situation, well, Cossacks have fought for Russia longer then America has existed as a nation. You could say the Russians have an obligation to help. Now it's the Ukraine vrs a space faring military superpower. NATO has superior naval, air, and space forces, but Russia has unstoppable missiles. Which is better? Hopefully we will never know. Remember what America did to Iraq in the first Gulf War? We are seeing the Russian version of that now. The Russians have the Ukrainians in a judo style submission hold, and they are waiting for Ukraine to tap out.