That clean the issue is not, the separatists in the east are far more pro-Russian and Russia-supported and -controlled than you want to admit.
Moscow probably is as deep into the Donbass story as it was and is into the Crimea story. Many names that emerged over the past years as associates of the separatists or leading personnel of theirs, had very close ties to Moscow, and the Russian intelligence services, also organised crime. Even when consideri8ng the weklaness of the Kiev governments and their own corruption problems and links to organised crime in the Ukraine, I doubt there would have been a big rebellion in the Donbass like there was (and still is) without strong Russian motivation and assistance.
Putin just days ago outlined his udnerstanfing of that Russia and Ukraine, Russians and Ukrainians are practically just onew people, Western media reported. For Ukrainian ears this must sound like an unhidden threatening with things to come in the close future.