AI overview
Donetsk Oblast is a region in eastern Ukraine that has been a major area of conflict, particularly since 2014 when Russia-backed forces took control of parts of it and again during Russia's full-scale invasion beginning in 2022. The region matters because control over it has been central to the broader conflict between Russia and Ukraine, affecting millions of people and shaping the course of the war.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
Donetsk Oblast, also called Donechchyna (Ukrainian: Донеччина, IPA: [doˈnɛtʃːɪnɐ]), is an oblast in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. About three-fourths (75%) of it is occupied by Russia. Before the Russo-Ukrainian War, it was Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 million residents. The oblast is Ukraine's most urbanized, and includes the sprawling urban areas of Donetsk–Makiivka, Horlivka–Yenakiieve, and the port city of Mariupol. Its administrative center is Donetsk city, though due to the war it was moved to Kramatorsk.
The oblast is a coal-mining region and has a long association with the industry. From its creation in 1938 until November 1961, it bore the name Stalino Oblast, in honour of Joseph Stalin. As part of de-Stalinization, it was renamed after the Donets, the main river of eastern Ukraine, and the Donets Ridge.