Donetsk Oblast

Donetsk Oblast (Ukrainian Донецька область Donetska oblast; Russian Донецкая область Donetskaya oblast) is an administrative district of Ukraine. The oblast is located in the Donets Basin, a heavily industrialized area, and is one of the most economically important and densely populated regions of Ukraine.

The oblast was formed in 1932 with a larger territorial scope. It has existed in its present form since 1938, when the newly formed Voroshilovgrad Oblast (now Luhansk) left the previous oblast. From 1932/38 to 1961 it bore the name Oblast Stalino in honour of Stalin, analogous to the name-giving city of Donetsk, although under German occupation between 1941 and 1943 the name Yuzovka was used. The area is 26,517 km². The population in 2014 was 4,343,900 people. The centre and eponymous district capital is Donetsk, with a population of just under one million. The Donetsk People's Republic was proclaimed on the territory of the oblast in April 2014. Since then, a large part of the area is no longer controlled by the Ukrainian government; the administrative center for the parts of the oblast under Ukrainian control was moved to Mariupol on June 13, 2014, and finally to Kramatorsk on October 13, 2014.

Donetsk Oblast is located in the south-east of Ukraine, it covers 4.4% of its territory. The region has a favorable climatic and geographical position in Ukraine, as it is mostly flat and offers good agricultural opportunities. The continental climate has always favoured settlement and use. On the one hand, there is humus-rich soil with a layer thickness of up to one meter, but on the other hand, there is a lack of sufficient natural water supply. Donetsk oblast borders Kharkiv oblast to the northwest, Luhansk oblast to the northeast, Russia (Rostov oblast) to the southeast, the Black Sea to the south, Zaporizhzhya oblast to the southwest, and Dnipropetrovsk oblast to the west.

The abundance of raw materials, e.g. coal and metals, forms the basis of the economy, but at the same time pollutes the environment. In addition, the technical standard of the coal mines is outdated; serious mining accidents occur time and again. Close economic ties, not only within Ukraine but also with Russia, access to the Sea of Azov and well-developed transport routes had a positive effect on the economic situation of the region until the outbreak of the armed conflict.

Largest cities

City (Russian name in brackets if different)	Ukrainian name	Russian name	Residents 1 January 2006
Donetsk	Донецьк	Донецк	993.519
Mariupol	Маріуполь	Мариуполь	479.959
Makiyivka (Makeyevka)	Макіївка	Макеевка	372.778
Horliwka (Gorlowka)	Горлівка	Горловка	275.452
Kramatorsk	Краматорськ	Краматорск	173.310
Slowjansk (Slavyansk)	Словьянськ	Славянск	121.394
Yenakiyevo (Yenakiyevo)	Єнакієве	Енакиево	94.408
Kostyantynivka (Konstantinovka)	Костянтинівка	Константиновка	86.828
Bachmut	Бахмут	Бахмут	80.227
Pokrovsk	Покровськ	Покровск	66.912
Tores	Торез	Торез	64.789
Druschkiwka (Druzhkovka)	Дружківка	Дружковка	62.766
Charzysk (Charzyssk)	Харцизьк	Харцызск	61.773
Shakhtarsk (Shakhtyorsk)	Шахтарськ	Шахтёрск	55.043
Snishne (Sneschnoje)	Сніжне	Снежное	52.999
Myrnohrad (Mirnograd)	Мирноград	Мирноград	52.241
Torezk	Торецьк	Торецк	39.491
Jassynuwata (Jassinowataja)	Ясинувата	Ясиноватая	36.918
Avdiivka (Avdeevka)	Авдіївка	Авдеевка	36.243
Dobropillja (Dobropolje)	Добропілля	Доброполье	33.375
Kirovskoye	Кіровське	Кировское	29.367
Debaltsev (Debaltsevo)	Дебальцеве	Дебальцево	28.160
Lyman (Liman)	Лиман	Лиман	25.314
Selydowe (Selidowo)	Селидове	Селидово	25.139
Wolnowacha	Волноваха	Волноваха	23.830
Dokuchayivsk (Dokuchayevsk)	Докучаївськ	Докучаевск	23.736
Kurachowe (Kurachowo)	Курахове	Курахово	20.746
Amvrossiivka (Amvrossiyevka)	Амвросіївка	Амвросиевка	20.705

Administration breakdown

Donetsk oblast is administratively divided into 18 rajons and 28 cities directly under the oblast administration. These are the cities of Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Kharzysk, Debaltseve, Dobropillya, Dokuchayivsk, Druzhkivka, Horlivka, Yasynuvata, Yenakiyev, Kirovsk, Kostyantynivka, Kramatorsk, Pokrovsk, Lyman, Makiyivka, Mariupol, Myrnohrad, Novohrodivka, Shakhtarsk, Zhdanivka, Selydov, Slavyansk, Snishne, Tores, Toretsk, Vuhledar, and the oblast's eponymous administrative center, the city of Donetsk.

Donetsk oblast rajons with their administrative centres

Donetsk oblast is divided into 18 rajons:

Rajon		Administrative headquarters	Area
German designation	Ukrainian name	Transcription	km²
Amvrosiyevka Rajon	Амвросіївський район. Amvrosiivsky rayon	Amvrosiyivka (city)	1.455
Rajon Bachmut	Бахмутський район. Bakhmutsky rayon	Bachmut (City.)	1.687
Dobropillja Rajon	Добропільський район. Dobropilsky rayon	Dobropillja (city)	949
Rajon Jassynuwata	Ясинуватський район. Yasynuvatsky rayon	Jassynuwata (City)	809
Kostyantynivka Rajon	Костянтинівський район. Kostyantynivsky rayon	Kostyantynivka (city)	1.172
Rajon Lyman	Лиманський район. Lymansky rayon	Lyman { "city".)	1.018
Marjinka Rajon	Мар'їнський район. Marjinsky rayon	Marjinka (City.)	1.350
Nikolske rayon	Нікольський район. Nikolsky rayon	Nikolske (settlement of urban type)	1.221
Novoazovsk rayon	Новоазовський район. Novoazovsky rayon	Novoazovsk (city)	1.000
Oleksandriwka Rajon	Олександрівський район. Olexandrivsky rayon	Oleksandriwka (settlement of urban type)	1.010
Rajon Manhush	Мангушський район Manhushsky rayon	Manhush (settlement of urban type)	792
Pokrovsk rayon	Покровський район. Pokrovsky rayon	Pokrovsk (city)	1.316
Shakhtarsk district	Шахтарський район. Shakhtarsky rayon	Shakhtarsk (city)	1.194
Slovyansk oblast	Слов'янський район Slovyanskyi rayon	Slowyansk { "city".)	1.274
Starobeshev Rajon	Старобешівський район. Starobeshivsky rayon	Starobeschewe (settlement of urban type)	1.255
Telmanov Rajon	Тельманівський район. Telmanivsky rayon	Telmanowe (settlement of urban type)	1.340
Velyka Novosilka Rajon	Великоновосілківський район. Velykonovosilkivsky rayon	Velyka Novosilka (settlement of urban type)	1.901
Volnovakha Rajon	Волноваський район. Volnovsky rayon	Wolnowacha (city)	1.848

Mariupol, the second largest city of the oblast


Map with the rajons of the oblast