Russia–Ukraine Border

The Russia–Ukraine border is the international state border between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. Over land, the border outlines five oblasts (regions) of Ukraine and five oblasts of the Russian Federation. The modern border issue has been ongoing ever since the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917.

Since early 2014, the border has been compromised due to the Russo-Ukrainian War. According to head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Viktor Nazarenko, the country does not control of the border with Russia.State border service, OSCE draft plan to return control over border with Russia if Minsk accords fulfilled
, Interfax-Ukraine (13 August 2016). This stretch of land is now controlled by the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic.Watching Russia for Signs of Progress in Ukraine Negotiations
Stratfor, 4 April 2016. Because of the change of control, Ukraine no longer has authority over the Kerch Strait, connection between the Kerch Peninsula on Crimea and the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai. At the same time the Russian Federation created checkpoints along the Ukrainian administrative border between Crimea and Kherson Oblast.

In 2014, the Ukrainian government unveiled a plan to build a defensive walled system along the border with Russia, named " Project Wall". It would cost almost $520 million, take four years to complete, and has been under construction as of 2015."As Ukraine Erects Defenses, Critics Fear Expensive Failure"
, ''Moscow Times'', 6 May 2015.

On 1 January 2018, Ukraine introduced biometric controls for Russians entering the country. On 22 March 2018, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed a decree that required Russian citizens to notify the Ukrainian authorities in advance about their reason for traveling to Ukraine. On 7 November 2018, the Criminal Code of Ukraine was amended to make illegal crossing of the border into Ukraine "to harm the country's interest" punishable by imprisonment for up to three years.Poroshenko introduces criminal liability for illegal border crossing by Russians
UNIAN (7 November 2018)

Since 30 November 2018, Ukraine has banned all Russian men between 16 and 60 from entering the country with exceptions for humanitarian purposes.Ukraine upholds entry restrictions for Russian men aged 16-60 years
, Ukrinform (December 27, 2018)

Since 1 March 2020, Ukrainians crossing the border from Ukraine to Russia need to use their "international passport". However, Ukrainians who return to Ukraine can do this using an "internal passport".Ukrainians to enter Russia on foreign passports from March 1, 2020
, 112 Ukraine (18 December 2019)

History before 1991

Dissolution of the Russian Empire

The border has inherited its location from the administrative-territorial division between the Ukrainian SSR and the Russian SFSR. The first real demarcation took place in May 1918 in Kursk.''Regional history of Ukraine. Collection of scientific articles''. Vol.3. "Institute of History of Ukraine (NANU)". Kiev, 2009 After the fall of the Russian Empire, several factions sought to create an independent Ukrainian state, alternately cooperating and struggling against each other. Most of Ukraine (Ukrainian People's Republic) was overrun by the Red Guards of Soviet Russia. With the help of the Central Powers, Ukraine managed to recover all its territories of "Ukrainian governorates" and also annexed a number of neighboring counties of Kursk and Voronezh governorates where the ethnic composition of the population was predominantly Ukrainophone (Ukrainian-speaking).Yefimenko, H.
About the border between Soviet Ukraine and the Bolshevik Russia, 1919
Ukrayinska Pravda (Historic pravda). 10 March 2014 On 6 May 1918, a ceasefire agreement was signed in Konotop between Ukraine and Soviet Russia. Between the fighting sides a neutral territory between 10 and 40 km wide was established to prevent further aggression, but the Russian side decided to create guerrilla forces which were transformed into two "Ukrainian divisions" (see Nikolay Shchors).

Peace talks started on 23 May 1918 in Kyiv, where the Russian delegation was headed by Christian Rakovsky and Dmitry Manuilsky, while the Ukrainian - by ( Ambassador of Ukraine to Russia). On June 12, 1918, the sides signed a preliminary peace treaty. Further negotiations stalled due to a lack of consensus on the issue of the borders. The Ukrainian side was proposing an ethnic principle based on the already established political, geographical, and economic aspects, while the Russian side insisted on conducting a plebiscite in each populated place. On 22 June 1918, both sides finally agreed to go along with the Ukrainian proposition, while any contested issues would be decided by plebiscite. Yet any further negotiations led nowhere and were terminated by the Ukrainian delegation in October 1918 as it was becoming apparent that the Russian was using their time more for the pro-Soviet propaganda.

International border with Don republic

More productive were negotiations between the Don Republic and Ukraine that started soon after the Don Republic formed its government on 16 May 1918. The Don side was presented by the Minister of trade Vladimir Lebedev and the Ambassador of Don to Ukraine General Aleksandr Cheriachukin, while the Ukrainian side - by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Doroshenko.

On 8 August 1918, the sides signed the treaty "About Basic Principles of Bilateral Relations", wherein each side agreed to renounce its territorial contests against the other, and borders were established based on the gubernatorial division of the Russian Empire. The Don-Ukraine border outlined the Oblast of Don Host to the west of the Don Republic and Yekaterinoslav, Kharkiv, Voronezh guberniyas to the east of Ukraine. To Ukraine also was ceded some territory of the right bank of the Kalmius river just east of Mariupol "to ensure the proper administration of the city and port". On September 18, 1918, between Don and Ukraine the Don-Ukrainian Commission was created for the administration of the Taganrog Industrial District, based in Kharkiv