Recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics

Areas controlled by the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics just before the Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. For approximate changes that have happened since, check out our Ukraine control map. (Map by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic. Contact us for permission to use this map.)

Donetsk and Lugansk: Unrecognized "Republics"

Though now overshadowed by the war, an important political geography event took place in the days leading up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, changing some versions of the world's list of countries.

Back in April 2014, the month after Russia-backed separatists in the peninsula of Crimea declared their independence from Ukraine, Russia-backed rebels in Ukraine's eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk also announced that they were forming independent countries: the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People's Republic (LPR). ("Luhansk" is the Ukrainian-language spelling of the place name, while "Lugansk" is the Russian-language version.)

But unlike Crimea, which had already been secured by Russia's military, and was quickly absorbed into Russia with the permission of its supposed independent government, Donetsk and Lugansk would remain unrecognized for the next eight years - not officially treated as independent countries by any other country, even Russia.*

How Many Countries Were There in the World in 2022?

There are newer editions of this article available. To find the most recent, view all "How Many Countries in the World" updates! 

This article, originally from 2011, has been revised and updated to March 2022. You can view older versions of the article in our archives. The main update from last year is the promotion of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics from unrecognized to partially-recognized "de facto states".

A world political map published by the US government.

One of the most basic questions for map-lovers is "How many countries are there in the world?" But anyone who just gives you a simple number isn't telling the whole truth. It actually depends a lot on how you define a "country". Here are six of the most common answers, each correct in its own way:

Ukraine: Map of Russian Control on March 24, 2022 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic

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One month into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, forces of the Ukrainian government have managed to recapture some ground from Russia. However, Russian troops have made smaller, but still significant, advances along other fronts, such as within the port city of Mariupol.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Ukraine war control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Ukraine map report of March 15, with sources cited.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date illustration of current territorial control in Ukraine, color-coded for the Ukrainian government on one side and the Russian military and allied rebels on the other side, with areas of uncertainty indicated. Colorblind accessible.
• Darker color indicating which areas were already under Russian or allied control before the 2022 invasion began
  
• Claimed borders of the Russia-backed, self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic in the eastern Donbass region.
  
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events
• Locations of recent control changes and other important events, including Irpin, Izium (Izyum), Rubizhne, Baryshivka, Makariv, and more
  
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since March 15, 2022, with links to sources.

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Ukraine: Map of Russian Control on March 15, 2022 (Subscription)

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There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Ukraine articles on PolGeoNow.

Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic

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The invasion of Ukraine is still proceeding slowly in its third week. While Russian and allied rebels have filled many gaps in their control around the country's edges, they've made only small progress towards capturing any more cities. Meanwhile, most of Ukraine's interior and western half remain under Ukrainian government control.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Ukraine war control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Ukraine map report of March 6, with sources cited.

This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.

Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Ukraine map!

Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date illustration of current territorial control in Ukraine, color-coded for the Ukrainian government on one side and the Russian military and allied rebels on the other side, with areas of uncertainty indicated. Colorblind accessible.
• Darker color indicating which areas were already under Russian or allied control before the 2022 invasion began
  
• Claimed borders of the Russia-backed, self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic in the eastern Donbass region.
  
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events
• Locations of recent control changes and other important events, including Irpin, Izium (Izyum), Skadovsk, Mariupol, Brovary, Voznesensk, Yavoriv military base, and more
  
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since March 6, 2022, with links to sources.

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Can I purchase just this map?
This map and report are not available for automated purchase to non-subscribers. If you need access or republication rights for only this map report, contact service@polgeonow.com for options.

Ukraine: Map of Russian Control on March 6, 2022

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Map by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic. Contact us for permission to use this map.

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic

Ukraine Map: Russian Troops Gradually Advancing

In the week since our previous Ukraine control map report, Russia and allied rebels have continued expanding their control at a modest pace, seizing the small city of Kherson in the south, expanding separatist control to cover most of Luhansk province, and bringing the port city of Mariupol under siege. Kherson, though the largest city yet captured since the full-scale invasion began on February 24, isn't the biggest city taken from Ukraine by Russia overall, since the slightly larger Sevastopol and Simferopol in Crimea have been controlled by Russia since 2014 (meanwhile, the much larger city of Donetsk, as well as somewhat larger Luhansk, have also been controlled by pro-Russian rebels since that time).