Toretsk Торецк | |
|---|---|
 Church of St. Macarius in Toretsk | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Toretsk  Toretsk | |
| Coordinates:48°23′30″N37°52′24″E / 48.39167°N 37.87333°E /48.39167; 37.87333 | |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Oblast | Donetsk Oblast |
| Raion | Bakhmut Raion |
| Hromada | Toretsk urban hromada |
| Founded | 1806 |
| City rights | 1938[2] |
| Microdistrict/Microraion[4] | Fomiha Microraion[3] Krymske Microraion Nakhalivka Microraion Zabalka Microraion |
| Government | |
| • Head | Vasil Chynchyk |
| Area | |
• Total | 62 km2 (24 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 179 m (587 ft) |
| Population 2013 population was 35,296 | |
• Total | 126 (January 2,025)[1] |
| Postal code | 85200—85279 |
| Area code | +380-6247 |
| Climate | Dfb |
| Website | http://toretsk-rada.gov.ua/ |
 | |
Toretsk (Russian:Торецк;Ukrainian:Торецьк) is an industrial city inBakhmut Raion,Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center ofToretsk urban hromada. As of January 2022, its population was approximately30,914.[5]
It has its origins as the hamletShcherbynivka,[a] built during the mid-19th century developments in coal mining in theDonbas region. It developed over the following century with the rise of rail transport. Between 1936–2016, the city was namedDzerzhynsk[b] afterFelix Dzerzhinsky, the founder of theCheka. The city received its current name in 2016, as a result ofdecommunization laws.
Toretsk has seen fighting and shelling during theWar in Donbas, in the first phase of theRusso-Ukrainian War that began in 2014, which has depopulated and heavily damaged the infrastructure of the city over the years. On 7 February 2025, during the 7 monthBattle of Toretsk in theRussian invasion of Ukraine, Russia claimed it had fully occupied the city of Toretsk, although this was denied by Ukraine.[6] Due to the fighting, the city population decreased to around 1,150 by October 2024 according to the Ukrainian military administration.[7]
Toretsk is located on theright bank of theKryvyi Torets river, which is a tributary of theKazennyi Torets.[2] It is located in the historical, cultural, and economicDonbas region withineastern Ukraine.[8]
The territory where Toretsk now sits has been inhabited since ancient times, as discovered with archaeological findings. The city itself was founded in 1806 in theRussian Empire, when parts of the townZaitseve were split off into several minor hamlets, includingShcherbynivskyi. According to local traditions, this name originates from a similarly-namedCossack outpost in the area. In the late 1830s, coal deposits were discovered in the area, and the area was developed for coal mining. Shcherbynivskyi and neighboring villages were united into a village namedShcherbynivka, which became part ofBakhmut uezd.[2]
In 1869, theKursk-Kharkiv-Azov Railway was built, which passed near Shcherbynivka, significantly contributing to the economic development of the town.[2]
Shcherbynivka changed hands several times during theRussian Civil War of 1917–1923, before eventually being captured by theBolsheviks, who established the communistSoviet Union on much of the former territory of the Russian Empire.[8] In 1936, Shcherbynivka was renamed toDzerzhynsk afterFelix Dzerzhinsky.[2][8] Dzerzhinsky was the founder of theCheka secret police in the USSR, and architect of theRed Terror.[9] It also received city status.[2][8] A local newspaper began being published in the town in September 1936.[10]
DuringWorld War II, Dzerzhynsk was occupied byNazi Germany from 22 October 1941 to 5 September 1943. During the occupation, the Germans killed 150 civilians anddeported 1,460 for forced labor to Germany.[2]
In 1989, Dzerzhynsk's population was 50,538 people.[11]
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In the 2001 census Dzerzhynsk's population was 43,371[citation needed] and by 2013 had declined to 35,296 people.[12]
Following the 2015law on decommunization, the city council decided on 16 October 2015 to rename the city to Toretsk.[13] The name was approved by theVerkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) on 4 February 2016.[14]
In August 2016, Toretsk mayor Volodymyr Sleptsov was arrested on separatism charges due to his ties to theDonetsk People's Republic in 2014; Serhiy Vinnyk became acting mayor.[15][needs update]
In 2020, Toretsk became the center ofToretsk urban hromada withinBakhmut Raion, in accordance with nationwide administrative reforms.[16][17]
Starting in mid-April 2014, during the beginning of thewar in Donbas, Russia-backed paramilitaries captured several towns in Donetsk Oblast, including Dzerzhynsk.[18] On 21 July, Ukrainian forces recaptured the city.[19][20][21] As a result of the conflict, the city had its water supply cut multiple times during the war due to constant shelling by Russian-backed separatists, which prevented repairs as of November 2016.[15]
Following theRussian invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022, Russian forces advanced through Donetsk Oblast towards the city. Half of the pre-war population of 32,000 had fled the city by April 2022, and those that remained were impoverished and lacking in basic resources.[18] Numerous civilians were killed as a result of Russian strikes.[22][23] Toretsk civil-military administration head Vasyl Chynchyk announced in July 2023 that open-air markets in the city would be closed due to the extreme danger from Russian attacks. The administration continued slowly evacuating people westward. There had been no water or gas supply in a year and a half as of July 2023.[24]
In June 2024, Toretsk came under increased Russian pressure, as part ofa renewed campaign to capture the city and its surrounding villages.[25] As of October, Russia fully or almost completely controls Toretsk's eastern outskirt settlements ofPivnichne,Zalizne,Druzhba, andPivdenne,[26] while also advancing into the center of Toretsk.[27] Amid heavy fighting, the city population decreased to about 1,150 according to a statement by the military administration on 11 October.[7] By January 2025, Russian forces controlled the urban area of Toretsk,[28] with fighting ongoing around the city and its northern outskirts.[29] Ukrainian forces indirectly admitted that most of the city was no longer controlled by Ukraine.[28] On 7 February, Russia claimed that the city had been fully captured by its forces, although this was denied by Ukraine.[6]
The industries of the city formerly includedcoal mining, the production ofcoke chemical, ceramics, and phenol.[30][full citation needed]
Toretsk had a miningtekhnikum, a music school, and a medical school.[30]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1926 | 18,886[8] | — |
| 1989 | 50,538[11] | +167.6% |
| 2001 | 43,371[2] | −14.2% |
| 2013 | 35,296[31] | −18.6% |
| 2022 | 30,914[5] | −12.4% |
As of the2001 Ukrainian census, the majority of residents identified as ethnic Ukrainians and spoke Russian as their first language:[32]
