Kreminna (Ukrainian: Кремінна, Russian: Кременная, romanized: Kremennaya) is a city in Sievierodonetsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. Prior to 2020, it served as the administrative center of former Kreminna Raion. Its population was estimated at 18,116,[1] as of January 2022.
Kreminna
Кремінна | |
|---|---|
 Kreminna railway station | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Kreminna  Kreminna | |
| Coordinates: 49°03′00″N 38°13′00″E / 49.05°N 38.2167°E | |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Oblast | Luhansk Oblast |
| Raion | Sievierodonetsk Raion |
| Hromada | Kreminna urban hromada |
| Founded | 1680 |
| City Status | 1938 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Yuriy Prokopenko |
| Area | |
• Total | 15.72 km2 (6.07 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 18,116 |
| • Density | 1,200/km2 (3,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Area code | (+380) |
| Vehicle registration | BB / 13 |
| Climate | Dfb |
 | |
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine that was launched in February 2022, the city has been the scene of heavy fighting, with both Ukraine and Russia claiming control at times.[2][3] Russia has claimed it as part of the Luhansk People's Republic following its declared annexation of the region in September 2022.[citation needed]
History
editThis section appears to be slanted towards recent events. (April 2023) |
Kreminna was founded in 1680. Kreminna acquired the status of a city in 1938.
A local newspaper has been published in the city since December 1943.[4]
Russo-Ukrainian War
editIn July 2014, fighting took place in the city during the 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine.[5] Kreminna remained under Ukrainian control.[6]
In March 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the pro-Russian mayor Volodymyr Struk who welcomed the Russian move, was found shot dead in the street after having been kidnapped from his home.[7][8] Official advisor and a former deputy minister at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs Anton Herashchenko said that Struk was judged under the Lynch Law. Herashchenko suggested that the mayor was murdered by "unknown patriots" as the Russian forces were 15 kilometers away from Kreminna.[9]
On 11 March 2022, a residential care home for the elderly in Kreminna came under the fire of Russian tanks after Ukrainian armed forces set up a firing position there. According to Serhiy Haidai, the Ukrainian Governor of Luhansk Oblast, 56 elderly residents were killed and 15 others were taken by the Russian military to Svatove, a town under their control. Ukrainian emergency services and officials were unable to reach the incident scene due to ongoing fighting.[10]
The town was the site of some of the first fighting of the battle of Donbas during the battle of Kreminna. On 18 April 2022, Russian and LNR troops entered the city of Kreminna, capturing it a few hours later after clashes with the Ukrainian Army.[11][12] Haidai said "there were plans to evacuate the population," although due to heavy fighting it proved impossible. Haidai described the Russian forces as having "a huge amount of equipment".[13]
On 13 September 2022, Haidai stated that Russian forces had fled Kreminna three days earlier, that the Ukrainian flag has been raised by local residents, but Ukrainian forces had not yet entered the town.[14] However, on 14 September, Haidai stated that Russian troops had returned to Kreminna and "torn down the Ukrainian flag".[15]
In early October 2022, the Luhansk Oblast campaign near the town was initiated.
In February 2023 the first recorded loss of a Russian BMPT Terminator was in a combat near Kreminna.[16]
Demographics
edit
Notable people
edit- Yuriy Aharkov (born 1987), Ukrainian cyclist
- Olena Borysenko (born 1996), Ukrainian archer
- Valery Hrebenyuk, (born 1965), Ukrainian diplomat and former ambassador to South Africa
- Viktor Chornobay (1983-2017), Ukrainian soldier awarded with the Order for Courage
References
edit- ^ Чисельність наявного населення України на 1 січня 2022 [Number of Present Population of Ukraine, as of January 1, 2022] (PDF) (in Ukrainian and English). Kyiv: State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2022.
- ^ Haidai, Serhii (4 March 2023). "Russian forces concentrate all their efforts on Kreminna head of Luhansk Oblast Military Administration". Ukrainian Pravda – via Yahoo News.
- ^ "Live Updates: Russia invades Ukraine". edition.cnn.com. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
- ^ № 2916. Ленинское знамя // Летопись периодических и продолжающихся изданий СССР 1986 - 1990. Часть 2. Газеты. М., «Книжная палата», 1994. стр.382 (tr. "No. 2916. Lenin banner // Chronicle of periodicals and continuing publications of the USSR 1986 - 1990. Part 2. Newspapers. M., "Book Chamber", 1994. p.382")
- ^ "Ukrainian border guards come under mortar fire at Dovzhansky checkpoint". 7 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ^ "На Луганщині знесли чергового Леніна" [Another Lenin was demolished in Luhansk region] (in Ukrainian).
- ^ "Pro-Russia mayor of city in eastern Ukraine who welcomed Putin's invasion is found shot dead in the street after being kidnapped from his home". 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ Matyash, Tanya (2 March 2022). "На Луганщині знайшли застреленим мера-сепаратиста Струка" [Separatist mayor Struk was found shot dead in Luhansk region]. LB.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ "Пророссийского главу Кременецкой ОТГ нашли мертвым - Геращенко" [Pro-Russian head of Kremenets UTC found dead - Gerashchenko] (in Russian). Retrieved 11 April 2022.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Russian attack killed 56 elderly residents of a care home in eastern Ukraine, says regional official". CNN. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- ^ "Russian invaders take control of Kreminna in Luhansk region - Haidai". ukrinform.net. 18 April 2022.
- ^ "Russian forces took control over Ukraine's Kreminna". apa.az. 18 April 2022.
- ^ "Russian Army Enters Kreminna. Evacuation Of Population Impossible - Luhansk Administration Head". ukrinform.net. 18 April 2022.
- ^ "Война в Украине. Зеленский посетил Изюм и пообещал вернуть все оккупированные территории - Новости на русском языке". 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Russia-Ukraine war live: Zelenskiy makes surprise visit to recaptured Izium; Russia 'almost certainly' using weapons from Iran". the Guardian. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ Mitzer, Stijn; Janovsky, Jakub. "Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (list)". Oryx. Dated 24 February 2022, but "constantly updated as additional footage becomes available"
- ^ "Національний склад міст".
- ^ "Рідні мови в об'єднаних територіальних громадах України".