On Novorussia concept and its place of policy - you have clearly have not been following the Russian policy closely, it has underwent several very important changes:
Phase 1) - Crimea. During this time Crimea has been annexed, and weak, mainly private support has been offered to the self proclaimed republics. At that time Putin indeed does get his "Novorussia" rhetoric out and group A) is being assighned to monitor the developments and control Russian participation in the events.
Phase 2) - We don't know nothing. During this period Putin's rhetoric undergoes a change - he asks the separatists to wait a bit longer with their referendums, as well accepting the newly elected president. The group A)'s people in the Novorussia do not develop local forces in the Donetsk and Lugansk (less in Lugansk, more so in Donetsk), contrary to the Strelkov in Slavyansk. There is even unconfirmed stuff that the group A) plans to abandon the Novorussia due to the high political costs (sanctions) of the operation.
Phase 3) - Lets do it. And now, after the Strelkov's return from the Slavyansk the politics change yet again. Now it is group B) that controls the Ukraine crisis related policy and this group expands all sorts of support, more recently it even changes the leadership to a more military proffesional, local (as in Ukranian) crew.
The borders of the Novorussia depend largerly on the negotiations and the future Ukranian stasus. Though obviously now we cannot abandon Lugansk and Donetsk oblast regions (and even more obviously Crimea, which is non negotiable) - the other region's status is yet to be determined by the diplomatic means.
The "big" Novorussia can be seen here:
