File:PopasnaMap.jpg

Popasna (Попасная) (red mark) at the Google map ^[1]

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popasna Popasna (Ukrainian: Попасна, Russian: Попасная, tr. Popasnaya), was a city in Sievierodonetsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine, that is now under control of Luhansk People's Republic. In 2013, it had almost 22,000 inhabitants. Prior to 2020, it was the administrative center of the former Popasna Raion. // History[edit] During World War II, in 1941–1943, the German occupiers operated a Nazi prison in the town.[2] A local newspaper is published in the city since March 1979.[3] On 19 June 2014, Ukrainian forces reportedly secured the town from pro-Russian separatists.[4] On 8 July 2014, the pro-Russian separatists retook control of the town.[5][6] On 22 July 2014 the Ukrainian Donbas Battalion retook the town from the pro-Russian separatists.[7][8] According to an eye witness the pro-Russian separatists had abandoned the town that day.[7] Since then the city comes under periodic attack from the separatists.[9][10] Land mines have been laid near Popasna.[11] In March 2015 the city only had two stores with some basic products and one pharmacy and residents received food distribution through a volunteer organization.[9] Meanwhile, residents complained about having to pay for public utilities and for having been cut off from social benefits supplied by the Ukrainian government.[9]// 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine// See also Battle of Popasna In 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Popasna was attacked by Russian forces.[12] During the Battle of Donbas (2022), the city has been at the frontlines of fighting between Russia and Ukraine. In the fighting near Popasna, Russian forces reportedly damaged or destroyed every property in the town center. Seriy Hayday, the head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, claimed that Russian forces were "removing [Popasna] from the map of Luhansk region".[13] On 8 May 2022, Governor of Luhansk Oblast Serhiy Haidai confirmed that Ukrainian troops were forced to retreat from the city of Popasna to take up more fortified positions, adding "everything was destroyed there". On 8 May, Ukrainian forces announced that they had withdrawn from Popasna, allowing Russia to fully occupy the town.[14] Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov stated that his troops now control most of the city.[15]