The Bakhmutka ( uk, Бахмутка) is a river in

Donetsk Oblast The Donetsk Oblast ( ukr, Донецька область, Donetska oblast, ), also referred to as Donechchyna ( ukr, Донеччина, links=no), is an oblast of eastern Ukraine. It is Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 mill ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. It is a right tributary of the

Siverskyi Donets The Seversky Donets () or Siverskyi Donets (), usually simply called the Donets, is a river on the south of the East European Plain. It originates in the Central Russian Upland, north of Belgorod, flows south-east through Ukraine (Kharkiv, Done ...

. It is also known as the Bakhmut ( uk, Бахмут) or the Bakhmutovka.

Geography

The length is and the

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...

area is . It thaws in early March and freezes in December. The water is partially used for technical needs and for irrigation. The Bakhmutka has several tributaries: * * * * * * * * The river flows through the city of

Bakhmut Bakhmut ( uk, Ба́хмут, ) is a city in the Donbas and the administrative centre of Bakhmut Raion in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is located on the Bakhmutka River, about 89 km north of Donetsk city, the administrative center of the o ...

. Siversk is also located on the Bakhmutka.

History

In 1571, fortresses were built on the Bakhmutka, which served as protection of the southern border of the

Tsardom of Russia The Tsardom of Russia or Tsardom of Rus' also externally referenced as the Tsardom of Muscovy, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of Tsar by Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter I i ...

with the Crimean Khanate. In 2023, the Bakhmutka again served as a barrier between opposing forces during the battle of Bakhmut of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, after Ukrainian forces withdrew from all parts of Bakhmut east of the river in March 2023. On 7 April, Russian forces reportedly crossed the river and captured the west bank, threatening Ukrainian supply lines.

References

Bibliography

Bakhmutka Rivers of Donetsk Oblast Rivers of Ukraine Donbas {{Ukraine-river-stub