The populace is pretty pro-Russian. Frankly, I don't blame Putin for a minute, because the Western Ukrainians are angry and anti-Russian. Look at what happened in Kharkov (see the link). The same thing happened in Donetsk and Mariupol. And, to add insult to injury for the "authorities" in Kiev (it's unclear if anyone is listening to them at this point, even in Kiev, where I think the gunmen are running the show), Ukraine's only frigate took down the Ukrainian flag and raised the Russian flag, so the Ukrainian navy is already collapsing. I suspect the army will fall apart too, and there will be complete chaos in the West.
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*