Starobesheve Raion

Starobesheve Raion (Ukrainian: Старобешівський район) was one of the raions of Donetsk Oblast, located in southeastern Ukraine. Its administrative center was the urban-type settlement of Starobesheve.The raion was abolished on 18 July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Donetsk Oblast to eight.^[1][2] The last estimate of the raion population, reported by the Ukrainian government, was 49,313 (2020 est.).^[3]

Starobeshivskyi Raion Старобешівський район
Raion
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates: 47°45′12″N 38°1′54″E
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Donetsk Oblast
Established	1923
Disestablished	18 July 2020
Admin. center	Starobesheve
Subdivisions	List   1 — city councils   2 — settlement councils 11 — rural councils Number of localities:   1 — cities   2 — urban-type settlements 48 — villages   9 — rural settlements
Government
• Governor	Vasyl′ Pan′ko
Area
• Total	1,282 km2 (495 sq mi)
Population  (2020)
• Total	49,313
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Postal index	87200—87272
Area code	+380 6253

Since 2014, the raion has not been under control of the Ukrainian government and has been controlled by the Donetsk People's Republic militant group ^[which?], which continues using it as an administrative unit.^[4]

Demographics

According to the 2001 Ukrainian Census:^[5]

Ethnicity
Ukrainians	29,170	52.1%
Russians	17,761	31.7%
Greeks	7,491	13.4%
Belarusians	397	0.7%
Azerbaijanis	241	0.4%
Germans	171	0.3%
Armenians	122	0.2%