CHANGES IN THE SOCIO-POLITICAL ATTITUDES OF DONETSK RESIDENTS IN THE TERRITORY CONTROLLED BY UKRAINE (2014-2022)

Based on a wide range of sources, the authors analyzed the change in the socio-political attitudes of Donetsk residents during the ATO/JFO and the factors that influenced their transformation. Thus, it was found that the Russian aggression against mainland Ukraine in 2014 led to the division of Donetsk region into two parts – the one controlled by the Ukrainian authorities and the temporarily occupied territory. The “hybrid peace” caused a change in the mass perceptions of Donetsk residents. The study examined issues of geopolitical orientation, war and peace, self-identification, the status of Russian/Ukrainian languages, etc. Their analysis demonstrated a change in the socio-political attitudes of residents in the government-controlled area, which did not differ significantly from the general trends in Ukrainian society.