GS2 – International Relations
Context:
Russia presently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including areas of industrial and strategic significance.
Key Areas Under Russian Control:
- Crimea: Annexed in 2014; hosts a strategic naval and military base on the Black Sea.
- Luhansk: Fully controlled; industrial hub in Donbas rich in metals and chemicals.
- Kherson: Around 73% under Russian control; forms a crucial “land bridge” to Crimea.
- Kharkiv & Sumy: Small occupied regions with strategic value.
- Zaporizhzhia: Largely under Russian control; site of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
- Donetsk: Roughly 75% controlled; includes the fortified “fortress belt” of Donbas.
Implications:
- Russian control strengthens industrial and military leverage.
- Possession of nuclear facilities and strategic corridors affects regional security dynamics.