Anti-Terrorist Operation Zone (Ukraine)
ATO zone, or Anti-Terrorist Operation Zone, is a term used by media, publicity and government of Ukraine as well OSCE and other foreign institutions to identify Ukrainian territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions under control of Russian military forces and pro-Russian separatists. A significant part of ATO zone is considered temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.
On 20 February 2018, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko changed the status of the ATO zone from an anti-terrorist operation to “taking measures to ensure national security and defense, and repulsing and deterring the armed aggression of the Russian Federation in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts". This allows the Ukrainian military to take charge of the zones instead of the Ukrainian secret service SBU.The zone is conditionally divided into five sectors A, B, C, D, and M.
- Sector A - eastern and central parts of Luhansk Oblast
- Sector B - central parts of Donetsk Oblast including Donetsk and Makiivka
- Sector C - northern parts of Donetsk Oblast, and western parts of Luhansk Oblast
- Sector D - southern parts of Luhansk Oblast and eastern parts of Donetsk Oblast
- Sector M - southern parts of Donetsk Oblast
List of landmarks bordering with ATO zone[http://zakon4.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1085-2014-%D1%80]
Information as 7 November 2014.Influence in culture and society
Since 28 December 2015, the song "Brattia Ukraintsi" is the official anthem of ATO.
