RELIGION AS RUSSIA'S SOFT POWER TOOL IN THE DONBAS SEPARATISM PROCESS

The article is devoted to such a pressing problem as separatism, mainly in Ukraine (Donbas region). Some experts say that separatism is a problem of the past, but the author emphasises that the XXIst century will be the century of an identification factor increase that will influence nationalistic issues. It is emphasised that separatism could be catalysed not only by domestic factors but also by exogenous ones, especially nowadays, when the structure of the world is being changed by influential actors in foreign affairs. The article contains an analysis of the reasons for military conflict that broke out in 2014 in the Donbas region and still goes on. The author analyses the exogenous influence of the Russian Federation on the political situation in Ukraine. The analysis covers Russian influence on politics, economy, culture and religion in Ukraine. Besides, for the first time in the Political Science field, the author presents a separatism revealing formula that can help central governments foresee and prevent possible separatism conflicts in future.