Time magazine reported in April 2014 that the troops in eastern Ukraine described themselves as Cossacks, whereas analysts in Ukraine and the West considered at least some of them to be Russian special forces.
Time magazine rapporterede i april 2014 at tropperne i det østlige Ukraine beskrev sig selv som kosakker, hvorimod analytiskere i Ukraine og i vesten betragtede ihvertfald en stor del af dem som russiske specialstyrker.