Proto-state formerly part of Luhansk Oblast of the Ukraine. State was established by Russian-ethnic separatists supported militarily by the Russian Federation. Independence was formalized by referendum on May 12, 2014. Boundaries of the new state exclude a northern part of Luhansk Oblast under Ukrainian control since 2015. The LNR is constituted mainly on the southern bank of the Donets River located in the Donets Basin, known commonly as the Donbass.
