In the spring of 2014, the Donetsk region found itself at the epicenter of turbulent events: for the first time, Russia—shedding its mask as a friendly neighbor—began seizing Ukrainian territories using pro-Russian mercenaries and, later, its regular army. Numerous settlements found themselves under occupation. As early as May, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, together with volunteer battalions, began liberating settlements in the region. Today, it is important to honor the memory of the heroes who bravely stood up to defend Ukraine from the very first days of the war and who have paid—and continue to pay—an exorbitant price for our freedom.
On July 6, 2014, Ukrainian troops liberated the city of Bakhmut from Russian occupation. This event marked one of the key stages of the Anti-Terrorist Operation and was a continuation of the successful liberation of the northern part of Donetsk Oblast following the return of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk to Ukrainian control.
Bakhmut was a strategically important location due to the presence of a supply depot for armored vehicles and equipment, as well as a nearby small-arms storage facility in the village of Paraskoviivka. Although pro-Russian militants had established control over the city’s authorities as early as April 2014, they failed to seize the depots containing weapons and equipment.
Beginning on April 24, 2014, Russian invaders attacked the military depots five times, using tanks and mortars. All attempts to seize military property were repelled by the Ukrainian military.
On July 4, 2014, the ATO Forces carried out a reconnaissance raid on Bakhmut, destroying the militants’ headquarters, and two days later, the city was liberated by units of the National Guard and the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The ATO Forces involved in the liberation of Bakhmut in July 2014 included the 3rd Separate Special Forces Regiment named after Prince Sviatoslav the Brave, the Special Forces of the Military Law Enforcement Service, the 79th Separate Tavriya Airborne Assault Brigade, the 95th Separate Airborne Assault “Polissya” Brigade, the 80th Separate Airborne Assault “Galician” Brigade, the “Artemivsk” Special Purpose Police Patrol Battalion (now the Police Battalion), and the National Guard’s “Donbas” Special Operations Battalion.
After its liberation in July 2014, Bakhmut was remembered as a thriving city full of promising prospects. Unfortunately, these memories are shattered by the harsh reality in which, in 2023, the Russians razed the former industrial and cultural center to the ground.