Administratively, Donetsk has been the centre of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the larger economic and cultural Donets Basin (Donbas) region.

3 days ago · What is the Donbas region? Collectively known as the Donbas, the two coal-rich eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk used to be Ukraine’s industrial heartland.

Dec 27, 2025 · Donetsk, city, southeastern Ukraine, on the headwaters of the Kalmius River. It is the capital of Donetsk oblast (province) and the most prominent city in the Donets Basin (Donbas) …

3 days ago · Donetsk once accounted for more than half of Ukraine's coal, finished steel, coke, cast iron and steel production, though many mines and facilities have been destroyed in the war.

3 days ago · Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine face a major hurdle. The core issue is the disputed Donetsk region. Russia wants Ukraine to cede territory it currently controls. Ukraine insists …

For more than a decade, Russian aggression has made Ukraine’s Donetsk region synonymous with war. It’s both a symbol of Kyiv’s resistance and a gauge of the conflict’s progress.

2 days ago · Donetsk is one of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow said in 2022 it was annexing after referendums rejected by Kyiv and Western nations as a ‍sham.

Aug 24, 2025 · The Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine has long been in Moscow's sights. Vladimir Putin reportedly says he'll freeze the war in return for full control of it.

Situation in Donetsk Oblast On Jan. 24, Ukraine’s 7th Air Assault Corps said the 147th Separate Artillery Brigade stopped a group of Russian troops near an industrial zone in northwestern ...

Aug 19, 2025 · Russia analyst Kateryna Stepanenko explains why Donetsk is so important to Ukraine and why Russia wants control of it.