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That is how proxy warfare rolls though, direct russian control would equal an invasion, so control is simply indirect. It is why proxy warfare is so deadly, it skirts international law and uses an intermediate not tied to any recognized govt, making retaliation under international law difficult.
On eastern europe well there was the soviet union, soviet pupper states, but then the soviet union did have the might to march their army on a puppet state when they misbehaved, where they are now in ukraine they could try to flex their muscle in crimea by claiming annexation, but with donbass if the leaders there opposed russia and went independant of them, russia could not simply march their army in to take them without triggering some kind of war of the non proxy variation.
The point is - that is never going to happen since the separatists depend on Russia for their survival against the nazi scum in Ukraine.