Conflict in Ukraine’s Donbas: A Visual Explainer

The comprehensive visual explainer on the conflict in Ukraine's Donbas region by the International Crisis Group meticulously dissects the ongoing strife. It presents a detailed mapping of the frontline, exceeding 420 kilometers, which bifurcates the combatants within the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. The report meticulously documents the grim tally of civilian lives disrupted and lost, enumerating those directly affected by the turmoil, including fatalities from live ammunition, explosive remnants, and even those who succumbed to health issues at congested crossing junctures. It extends to encapsulate military losses, with a specific emphasis on fatalities incurred in battle.

For clarity and accuracy, the report hinges on the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission's daily reports, honing in on larger calibers of weaponry and deliberately excluding smaller arms fire due to the inherent intricacies of such data. It also offers a glossary of pivotal conflict-related terminologies, such as 'shelling', 'small arms', and 'drone attacks', and elucidates on their respective roles in categorizing the human cost. Through this methodical approach, the explainer doesn't just chronicle the events but provides a structured lens through which the scope and scale of the Donbas conflict can be understood in its harrowing entirety.