Shevchenko, Donetsk Oblast

Shevchenko (Ukrainian: Шевченко) is a rural settlement in Pokrovsk urban hromada, Pokrovsk Raion, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. Its population is approximately 1,654 (2022 estimate).^[2] The village is named after poet and artist Taras Shevchenko.

Shevchenko Шевченко
Rural settlement
Shevchenko Location of Shevchenko within Ukraine Show map of Donetsk Oblast Shevchenko Shevchenko (Ukraine) Show map of Ukraine
Coordinates: 48°13′12″N 37°08′43″E
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Donetsk Oblast
Raion	Pokrovsk Raion
Founded	1912
Elevation [1]	167 m (548 ft)
Population  (2022)
• Total	1,654
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	85316—85318
Area code	+380 6239

Geography

Shevchenko is positioned approkimately 3 kilometers southwest of Pokrovsk. The total area of the town is 311.2 hectares. The town is situated on the highway T-0515. The town was founded on a significant coal deposit. The Solony river flows through the town and is the source of a reservoir.

Infrastructure

The town's main coal mine is Preobrazhensky mine. There are six grocery stores operating in the town, as well as one industrial store.

Population

According to the 2001 census, the population of the village was 2,102 people, of whom 40.15% indicated Ukrainian as their native language, 59.71% — Russian, 0.05% — Belarusian, Romanian and Bulgarian.

History

The village of Shevchenko was founded in 1911.

By 1918, the population of the village was 400 people, in 1959 - 5,500 people, since 1970 there has been a decrease in the population. As of 01/01/2011, the population of the village is 1,742 people, the majority of which are pensioners.

Shevchenkivsk Village Council was established in 1943. There are no industrial, municipal or agricultural enterprises on the territory of the council. The Village Day is dedicated to Miner's Day.

Russo-Ukrainian War

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in early December 2024, the settlement came under high pressure by Russian forces,^[3] as they sought to advance on the flanks of Pokrovsk, trying to seize it with a turning maneuver from the south,^[4]as part of a broader offensive towards the city in the region.^[5]

On 7 December, the ISW assessed Russian forces to have advanced to the outskirts of the settlement. According to unconfirmed claims by Russian milbloggers, fighting was ongoing in the centre of the settlement.^[5]

On 9 December, Russian forces were confirmed to have reached the centre of Shevchenko. By 11 December, most of the settlement was confirmed captured, with the exception of the northern and northeastern outskirts.^[6] This advance brought Russian forces within 3 kilometres of Pokrovsk.^[7]

On 15 December, the UK Defence Intelligence reported that the settlement was likely captured, with Ukrainian news source Ukrainska Pravda confirming the Russian occupation. ^[8][9]