Collaborationism in the Ukrainian dimension: Evolution of ukrainian statehood

The russian-Ukrainian war has brought renewed attention to the modern interpretation of terminology associated with military conflict. One such term is “collaborator” and “collaboration.” Their appearance is linked to the course of the Second World War, but in modern times, they have acquired specific features. The hybrid nature of the military-political activities of the russian federation in Ukraine has led to a deformation of the meanings of established concepts and terms. Presenting its aggressive policy as an internal conflict, russia initially prevented the legal classification of collaboration as a violation of the law. The article discusses the motivational component of the population in certain regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in supporting actions related to the occupation of these territories. The formation of privilege in these regions during Soviet times led to a distorted system of values and orientations in the population of the region. Representatives of the regional industrial-state oligarchy tried to preserve this mental worldview in the evolution of the economy from a state to a market economy. It is characteristic that political forces channeled this regional mental specificity into electoral bonuses for themselves on the way to elections to government bodies. By acting as a passive manipulative component of the population, the region gradually adapted to aggressively protest against existing formats of state power. Another basis for active collaboration was the economic component. Against the backdrop of the rapidly enriching regional elite, the main mass of the population was in a difficult economic situation. Worsening demographic and economic indicators in the region became a typical phenomenon. The socio-economic and demographic imbalance led to the emergence of constant social discontent among the population. Active anti-state activities of the local elite against the background of the inaction of state authorities have created a phenomenon of conditional impunity. The intensification of russia’s involvement in the conflict led to more active actions. The activities in support of russia by the Ukrainian population of the occupied territories, as aggressor countries, for a long time (2014-2022) did not receive proper qualification. The position of countries, leaders of the world political community, internal political disputes, the massiveness of examples of collaborationist activity, etc., was successful. The situation changed radically after February 24, 2024. The open disregard for international law, the conduct of military operations with numerous casualties and infrastructure destruction by the russian federation, the consolidation of the international community in a coalition supporting Ukraine, and a clear state course to restore territorial integrity and sovereignty led to a more radical and consistent classification of collaborationist activities. With the formation of a national idea and unprecedented consolidation of Ukrainian society, activities that do not fit into this concept have become clearly defined. State institutions, together with society, began to demonstrate intolerance towards manifestations of encroachment on national security and territorial integrity. The evolution of legal classification, effectiveness, and inevitability of punishment for crimes against state security, indicate the completion of the stage of the process of Ukrainian state-building. We are faced with a Ukrainian state with clearly defined national priorities, a formed state identity, national interests, and the ability to protect them