Why is Russia so focused on the Donbas region of Ukraine?

Why is Russia obsessed with this one region of Ukraine? What makes Donbas so valuable that Putin is willing to risk everything for it? Donbas isn’t just land.It hides 60 billion tons of coal underground — some of the largest reserves in Europe.Before the war, Donbas alone made up nearly one-third of Ukraine’s exports. Imagine losing 30% of your economy overnight.
It’s also the heart of Ukraine’s steel and machinery industry — the factories that once powered the entire Soviet Union.And here’s the twist — most people there speak Russian. Putin claims Donbas is ‘Russian land,’ even arguing Lenin wrongly gave it to Ukraine 100 years ago.
Militarily,Donbas sits on Russia’s border, giving Moscow a natural buffer zone against NATO.
By capturing Donbas, Russia also secures a land corridor to Crimea, linking its forces directly from the Russian border down to the Black Sea.This turns Ukraine’s eastern front into a fortress line — and makes it harder for Ukraine and the West to push Russia back.

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