Volnovakha ( uk, Волнова́ха, ; russian: Волнова́ха) is a town in

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. It served as the administrative center of Volnovakha Raion, one of the 18 districts of the Donetsk Oblast. Before the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...

, the population of the town was During the invasion, much of the town's infrastructure was severely damaged, with some reports describing the town as devastated. On 12 March 2022, Governor of Donetsk Oblast

Pavlo Kyrylenko Pavlo Oleksandrovych Kyrylenko ( ua, Павло Олександрович Кириленко; born 5 May 1986) is a Ukrainian prosecutor and politician. He is the current Governor of Donetsk Oblast. Under martial law during the 2022 Russian inva ...

stated that the town had been completely destroyed.

History

World War 2

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

reported significant fighting in the area around Volnovka during August and September 1943. Several units were given honorary titles after the battle in town.

Russo–Ukrainian War

During the

War in Donbas War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

, on 13 January 2015, 12 civilians were killed and 18 injured, after an attack on a passenger bus at a checkpoint in Buhas, a town north-east of Volnovakha. A monument to those killed in the attack was unveiled on 13 January 2017. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces engaged in indiscriminate bombing of Volnovakha and Schastia, shelling civilian areas. The terror bombing of the cities violated international law and echoed tactics Russia had previously used on civilian targets in Syria.Emma Graham-Harrison & Isobel Koshiw
'90% of houses are damaged': Russia's Syria-honed tactics lay waste Ukraine towns
''The Guardian'' (March 4, 2022). Volnovakha was reported to be on the verge of humanitarian crisis on February 28, and almost destroyed by March 1, with around 90% of its buildings either damaged or destroyed. Surviving residents were cut off from food, water, and electricity.Diana Hodali
Mariupol and Volnovakha: Besieged cities appeal for help
Deutsche Welle (March 5, 2022). Following the assault, bodies lay uncollected in the streets. On 11 March, Russia claimed that forces of the Donetsk People's Republic had captured Volnovakha. On 12 March,

, the governor of Donetsk Oblast, stated that the town had been completely destroyed and effectively ceased to exist, but fighting continued there to prevent a Russian encirclement. Euronews reported that much of it had been destroyed in the fighting.

Demographics

The town had 24,647 inhabitants in 2001. The town had a large Ukrainian Greek population. 52,9% of the population are ethnic

Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Ort ...

, Russians constitute 24,2% of the population, 20% are Greeks and 0,7% claim to be Belarusian.

Climate

Gallery

Пам'ятник воїнам-визволителям, танкістам.JPG, World War II liberation monument Чапаев.JPG,

Vasily Chapayev Vasily Ivanovich Chapayev or Chapaev (russian: link=no, Василий Иванович Чапаев; 5 September 1919) was a Russian soldier and Red Army commander during the Russian Civil War. Biography Chapayev was born into a poor peasan ...

monument Volnovaha train station.JPG, Volnovakha train station

References

External links

Site of town

Official site of Volnovaha raiderzhadministration

Official site of Volnovaha town Council
{{Authority control Cities in Donetsk Oblast Cities of district significance in Ukraine Populated places established in the Russian Empire Yekaterinoslav Governorate Destroyed cities Volnovakha Raion