MariupolMariupol is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. In January 2022, prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was the tenth-largest city in the country and the second-largest city in Donetsk Oblast, with an estimated population of 425,681; in August 2023, Ukrainian authorities estimated the population of Mariupol at approximately 120,000.
DonetskDonetsk (UK: , US: ; Ukrainian: Донецьк; Russian: Донецк), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin, and Stalino, is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine located on the Kalmius River in Donetsk Oblast, which is currently occupied by Russia as the capital of the Donetsk People's Republic. The population was estimated at 901,645 (2022 estimate) in the city core, with over 2 million in the metropolitan area (2011).
KalmiuskeKalmiuske or Komsomolske is a city in Kalmiuske Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is a limestone mining city, located on the Kalmius river of eastern Ukraine. It has a population of 11,422 (2022 estimate).GeographyKalmiuske is located on the Kalmius river that flows into the Azov Sea. It is 42 kilometres (26 mi) southwest of Donetsk, the center of Donetsk Oblast.
Donets RidgeThe Donets Ridge or Donets Upland is a highland located in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, most of which are currently occupied by Russia, as well as in Russia's Rostov Oblast. The highest point on the ridge is the hill Mohyla Mechetna, 367 m (1,204 ft). The Donets Ridge is the easternmost ridge in Ukraine. It is bordered on the north by the valley of the Siverskyi Donets River.
Kalchyk (river)The Kalchyk (Ukrainian: Кальчик) is a river in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts of Ukraine. It is historically known as the Kalka. It flows into the Kalmius, which it enters near the city of Mariupol. Supposedly, the river was the scene of the Battle of the Kalka River between the Mongol Empire and Kievan Rus' in 1223.
Donetsk OblastDonetsk Oblast, also called Donechchyna (Ukrainian: Донеччина, IPA: [doˈnɛtʃːɪnɐ]), is an oblast in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine that is currently four-fifths (80%) occupied by Russia. Before the Russo-Ukrainian War, it was Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 million residents. The oblast is Ukraine's most urbanized, and includes the sprawling urban areas of Donetsk–Makiivka, Horlivka–Yenakiieve, and the port city of Mariupol.
Azovstal Iron and Steel WorksThe Azovstal Iron and Steel Works, or Azovstal Metallurgical Combine (Ukrainian: Mеталургійний Kомбінат Азовсталь, pronounced; PFTS:AZST), was a metallurgical facility located in Mariupol in eastern Ukraine, and one of the largest steel rolling companies in the country. The Azovstal plant became one of the most emblematic points of the siege of Mariupol during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.YasynuvataYasynuvata (Ukrainian: Ясинувата, pronounced; Russian: Ясиноватая, romanized: Yasinovataya, pronounced) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It was incorporated as a city of oblast significance until the 2020 administrative reform. It also served as the administrative center of Yasynuvata Raion until it was dissolved in 2020. It is located 21 kilometres (13 mi) from Donetsk, the administrative center of the oblast.
UkraineCountry in Eastern EuropeUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the north; Poland and Slovakia to the west; Hungary, Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast. Kyiv is Ukraine's capital and largest city, followed by Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipro. The official language is Ukrainian.Ukrainian languageEast Slavic languageUkrainian (українська мова, ukrainska mova, IPA:) is an East Slavic language, spoken primarily in Ukraine. It is the first (native) language of a large majority of Ukrainians. Written Ukrainian uses the Ukrainian alphabet, a variant of the Cyrillic script. The standard language is studied by the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Potebnia Institute of Linguistics.
Russian languageRussian is an East Slavic language belonging to the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is one of the four extant East Slavic languages, and is the native language of the Russian people. Russian was the de facto (and de jure in its final years) official language of the former Soviet Union.
Sea of AzovThe Sea of Azov is an inland shelf sea in Eastern Europe connected to the Black Sea by the narrow (about 4 km (2.5 mi)) Strait of Kerch, and sometimes regarded as a northern extension of the Black Sea. The sea is bounded by Russia on the east, and by Ukraine on the northwest and southwest (the parts of Ukraine bordering the sea have been under Russian occupation since 2022). It is an important access route for Central Asia, from the Caspian Sea via the Volga–Don Canal.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.