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118-629: On 18 February 2015, after the Battle of Debaltseve , the town was captured by the DPR People's Militia . Distance from Donetsk: by road - 74 km, by air – 58 km. Distance from Kyiv: by road - 803 km, by rail - 797 km. The administrative boundary between the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts lies along with the eastern limits of the city. The city is located on a hill from which many Donbas rivers originate. The river Bulavin (a tributary of

236-862: A Common Assembly (Казачий Круг). The assembly elected temporary authorities — atamans . Don Cossacks were skilled horsemen and experienced warriors, due to their long conflict with the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire . They sold their military services to different powers in Eastern Europe. Together with the Polish King, they raided Moscow during the Time of Troubles (Смутное Время) and, under Russian authority, carried out raids and expeditions against Ottoman Turkey and Qajar Persia . Isolated between Russian and Muslim territory,

354-420: A bow, a cartridge, a bullet and a gun. All of these items were hung on the wall, over the boy's bed. At the age of three, the boy began to ride a horse. At the age of 7 to 8 he was allowed to ride in the street, to go fishing and hunt with adults. Horse racing was a popular pastime with Don Cossacks. Riders competed to hit a target, firing weapons from horseback. The most dexterous were able to do this standing on

472-493: A minimum of 150,000 from a total of the 2,500,000 parish members of the Don Eparchy were Starovers. Ataman count Matvei Platov was of a Popovtsy Old Believers Family. Don Cossacks were tolerant of other religions – with the exception of Jews – and accepted Buddhists, Muslims, Old Believers , and pagans into their communities. The Cossacks had a democratic society where the most important decisions were made during

590-579: A report on 24 January, a Ukrainian checkpoint near the city came under direct attack by Russian forces. Russian forces attacked another Ukrainian checkpoint near Debaltseve on 25 January, but the attack was repelled. On the next day, such attacks continued, with heavy fighting taking place all around Debaltseve. A resident of the city told Reuters that Debaltseve had been almost completely surrounded by Russian forces, but that Ukrainian forces had managed to hold on despite constant attacks. Russian forces attempted to enter Debaltseve on 27 January, this time from

708-769: A significant part in repelling Napoleon 's Invasion of Russia . Under the command of Count Matvey Ivanovich Platov , the Don Cossacks fought in a number of battles against the Grande Armée . In the Battle of Borodino , Don Cossacks made raids to the rear of the French Army. Platov commanded all the Cossack troops and successfully covered the retreat of the Russian Army to Moscow. The Don Cossacks distinguished themselves in subsequent campaigns, and took part in

826-656: A status of a “city” in 1938. By 1939, there were water supply and electricity. There were built a Palace of Culture for 1200 seats and a stadium. Moreover, a branch of the Kharkiv Institute of Railway started to operate in the city. In early December 1941 in Debaltseve direction, offensive and defensive battles of World War II started. After German troops were defeated by the Red Army in the Battle of Rostov , Germany began offensive operations aiming to capture

944-564: A united community and were called "the Cossacks". At first the main occupation of these small armed detachments was hunting and fishing—as well as the constant struggle against the Turks and the Tatars who attacked them. Only later they began to settle and work on the land. The first records relating to the Cossack villages: the " stanitsas ", date back to 1549. In the year 1552 Don Cossacks under

1062-513: A video that showed Russian forces caught in this shelling. Despite this, separatists captured Vuhlehirsk , a town 13 kilometres (8 mi) west of Debaltseve on the highway to DPR-controlled Horlivka . The separatists broke through Ukrainian lines, overran a government checkpoint, entered the town, and then proceeded into its centre. Reinforcements were sent to aid government soldiers in Vuhlehirsk . According to an Associated Press report,

1180-621: A war diary and record materials of personnel, and Iron Crosses meant for keeping up the fighting spirit of the German soldiers. But the German Army could not accept the loss of an important railway junction and brought up fresh reserves. Therefore, from 23 December to 26 December they continuously attacked Soviet troops which failed to fortify its position in the city. The fighting went on day and night. Soviet soldiers were fiercely fighting for each stone building. Fierce fighting took place near

1298-574: Is a vital railway and road junction, and was sandwiched between DPR and LPR territories as a "pocket" or "wedge" of Ukrainian territory - a 15-mile salient into separatist-controlled territory. Most residents had left by this time, with shops closed, schools abandoned, and houses damaged. Intermittent shelling of the city was common in the months preceding the January 2015 escalation. Heavy shelling, however, began on 17 January, and continued through 20 January. Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions in

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1416-733: Is a vital road and railway junction. Separatist and Russian forces began a concerted effort to force Ukrainian troops out of the city on 16–17 January, sparking the battle. Heavy fighting went on until 18 February 2015, when Ukrainian forces retreated from Debaltseve to Artemivsk (present-day Bakhmut ). It was the last major battle during the 2014–2015 phase of the war in Donbas, as the Minsk II ceasefire took effect on 15 February 2015, although fighting continued in Debaltseve for several days after. Debaltseve came under Russian control in April 2014 in

1534-510: Is the result of incompetent management of our troops, even though they’re trying to cover this up with a propaganda storm". President Poroshenko said that about 2,500 men had withdrawn from Debaltseve by the end of the day on 18 February, and this number represented 80% of the Ukrainian troops that had been in the city. Official reports said that thirteen soldiers had died during the retreat, and that 157 had been wounded. As above, soldiers on

1652-489: The Bakhmut highway "at any moment". The road had become nearly impassable, with multiple refugee-laden buses having been hit by artillery fire. Referring to the pocket of Ukrainian-held territory around Debaltseve as a " kettle ", as became common, DPR leader Alexander Zakharchenko said that anyone that attempted to leave "the kettle" would be in the "interlocking field of fire of our artillery". A report by aid workers in

1770-497: The Donbas . In this regard, the 52nd Italian division "Torino" and General Schwedler's troops were sent. At the front of the 12th Army began a fierce battle. The Red Army represented by the 71st NKVD Brigade (consisting of the 95th Border Regiment, the 172nd, the 175th and the 176th Infantry Regiments), the 74th Infantry Division (consisting of the 78th, the 109th and the 306th Infantry Regiments) commanded by General Fiodor Sherdin, and

1888-566: The Holodomor . On 20 April 1936 the earlier ban on Cossacks serving in the Red Army was lifted. Later the same year two existing Red Army cavalry divisions were re-designated as Don Cossacks. By 1939 a number of these regiments had been issued with traditional Cossack uniforms, in ceremonial and field service versions. The dress of the Don Cossack units included dark-blue breeches with broad red stripes which had distinguished them prior to

2006-540: The Novgorod Republic after the Battle of Shelon (1471), and from the neighboring Principality of Ryazan . Until the end of the 16th century, the Don Cossacks inhabited independent free territories. Cossacks of Ryazan are mentioned in 1444 as defenders of Pereslavl-Zalessky against the units of Golden Horde and in a letter of Ivan III of Russia from 1502. After the Golden Horde fell in 1480,

2124-768: The Ottomans and the Crimean Khanate . In 1637 the Don Cossacks, joined by the Zaporozhian Cossacks , captured the strategic Ottoman fortress of Azov , which guarded the Don. The defense of the Azov Fortress in 1641 was one of the key actions in Don Cossack history. After total taking of the Free Territories of Don Cossacks under the Moscovy control, Don Cossack history became more intertwined with

2242-530: The Russian Civil War , was of Don Cossack descent. Following the defeat of the White Army in the Russian Civil War , a policy of decossackization ("Raskazachivaniye") took place on the surviving Cossacks and their homelands, since they were viewed as a threat to the new Soviet regime. The Cossack homelands were often very fertile, and during the collectivisation campaign many Cossacks shared

2360-480: The Russian Empire and participated in most of its major wars. The name Cossack ( Russian : казак , romanized :  kazak ; Ukrainian : козак , romanized :  kozak ) was widely used to characterise "free people" (compare Turkic qazaq , which means "free men") as opposed to others with different standing in feudal society (i.e., peasants, nobles, clergy, etc.). The name "cossack"

2478-627: The Ukrainian Armed Forces , starting in mid-January 2015 during the war in the Donbas region . The Russian forces composed mostly of " Wagner Group " soldiers recaptured Debaltseve, which had been under Ukrainian control since a counter-offensive by government forces in July 2014. The city lay in a " wedge " of Ukrainian-held territory bordered by the DPR on one side, and the LPR on the other, and

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2596-733: The Ukrainian People's Republic , the actual power in the city was established only during the reign of Hetman Skoropadskiy (from April to December 1918) when Donbas was occupied by the Austro-German troops. After in April 1918 troops loyal to the Ukrainian People's Republic took control of Debaltseve. In 1919, Debaltseve was attacked by an armored train "Power to the Soviets!" ( Russian : “Власть Советам!” , romanized :  “Vlast Sovietam!” ). The commander of

2714-461: The capture of Paris . Napoleon is credited with declaring, "Cossacks are the finest light troops among all that exist. If I had them in my army, I would go through all the world with them." In the general census of 1884, the male population of the Don Cossacks was reported to number 425,000. The Don Cossacks were the largest of the ten cossack hosts then in existence, providing over a third of total cossack manpower available for military service. On

2832-545: The encirclement of Ukrainian forces at Ilovaisk , said that Chief of the General Staff Viktor Muzhenko had repeated the same mistake, allowing Ukrainian forces to be trapped without support. He said that "The commanders should have given the order to break through and retreat as soon as the threat of encirclement became obvious". Commander Semenchenko likewise said: "The problem was with the leadership and coordination of actions … What’s going on now

2950-640: The 176th Infantry Division as part of the 404th and the 591st Regiments (commander - Major General Vladimir Martsinkevich) resisted in this area. The German superiority in manpower, machinery and aviation was clear and Soviet troops were forced to retreat after bloody battles. On 2 December the offensive began in the Luhan River direction. At the same time, the Italian Division began to move towards Voroshilovgrad . The fiercest fighting lasted from 8-15 December. The Red Army inflicted heavy losses on

3068-594: The 1970s there were new multistorey microdistricts built, such as “ Cheriomushki ” (in the north-east of the city), “ 30th anniversary of the Victory ” and " Eastern "; in the 1980s – the " Festival " microdistrict. See also articles War in Donbas and Battle of Debaltseve During the early stages of the war in Donbas, Debaltseve was the site of an important battleground between the Donetsk People's Republic and Ukraine. Fighting started on 24 July 2014, when

3186-566: The 19th century was given to the State Counselor Ilya Deboltsov (born in 1747 - buried in 1827) for taking part in the suppression of the uprising of the Decembrists in 1825. After a while, Illinka got its second informal name - Deboltsovka. That's how it was shown on maps of the 19th century, and the station which is based on the northern borders of the estate Deboltsova was named Debaltsevo. In 1894, close to

3304-651: The 2008 Russo-Georgian war . In 2009, the Ukrainian Security Service banned a leader of the Don Cossacks from entering Ukraine in order to prevent the creation of an illegal parliamentary formation on Ukrainian territory. Since 2014, members of Don Cossacks have participated in the war in Eastern Ukraine as independent volunteers for the pro-Russian Donbass militias. Reportedly several military formations were formed though most of these groups were subsequently disbanded and integrated into

3422-637: The 50-kilometre (31 mi) north–south highway between Bakhmut and Debaltseve. At least seven civilians were killed when a Grad rocket struck a block of flats in the city. The remaining residents of Debaltseve began to attempt to evacuate from the city amidst increasing fighting. Three buses per day were arranged to take people out of conflict zone to Bakhmut. Twelve more civilians were killed by DPR shelling in Debaltseve on 31 January. Government forces continued to use artillery fire to cut off DPR reinforcements from entering Vuhlehirsk. A ground offensive to dislodge separatists from that town failed, resulting in

3540-537: The Armed Forces sent a large column of reinforcements, including armoured vehicles and troop transports, from their base of operations at Kramatorsk to besieged Debaltseve. A ceasefire between Russian and Ukrainian forces was agreed to for the day of 3 February. The stated intent was to allow remaining civilians to escape from the Debaltseve area. Shelling lessened until 13:00 EET , when salvos of Grad rockets were fired towards Debaltseve. Fighting continued into

3658-688: The BBC, many civilians became trapped along with Ukrainian troops in the city. Some escaped to Bakhmut , in Ukrainian-controlled territory at the entrance to Debaltseve pocket. A report by Russian television channel Vesti said that around 8,000 Ukrainian troops remained in Debaltseve, and that Russian forces were close to closing the pocket's entrance. Ukrainian territorial defence battalion commander Semen Semenchenko said that some Ukrainian soldiers continued to hold out in Vuhlehirsk, despite

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3776-600: The Bakhmut highway, thereby cutting off government forces. Videos showed DPR militants and tanks moving along the highway. During the day, the Lviv police chief was wounded in an explosion on a road near the town. Ukrainian forces took heavy casualties from artillery fire into 11 February. Nineteen soldiers were killed and seventy-eight injured in twenty-four hours. Those that died had been fighting near Hostra Mohyla hill, close to Debaltseve. In addition, Russian forces assaulted

3894-570: The Common Assembly (Казачий Круг). If a Cossack wanted to marry a woman he was expected to bring her to the Common Assembly for presentation. If the Common Assembly gave approval, the marriage followed. The same procedure took place if there was a divorce. Peter I banned these practices in the Common Assembly, requiring Cossacks to marry only in church. A Cossack marriage is a complex ritual, accompanied by songs, dances and performances. A bridegroom arrives on horseback and takes his bride to

4012-443: The Debaltseve police headquarters, killing the city's chief of police. Despite the signing of a new ceasefire agreement on 12 February 2015, fighting intensified around Debaltseve. Russian forces attempted an offensive on Debaltseve proper in an effort to push out government troops before the start of the ceasefire, which was to come into effect at 0:00 EET on 15 February 2015. Heavy artillery barrages were reported to have struck

4130-476: The Defense [REDACTED] Novorossiya Armed Forces [REDACTED] Russian Armed Forces (denied by Russia): Post-Minsk II conflict Attacks on civilians Related The Battle of Debaltseve was a military confrontation in the city of Debaltseve , Donetsk Oblast , between the pro-Russian separatist forces of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), and

4248-442: The Don Cossacks developed a distinct culture and language which fused Ukrainian, Russian, Kalmyk, and Tatar elements. The Don Cossacks have a tradition of choral singing and many of their songs, such as Chyorny Voron (Black Raven) and Lyubo, Bratsi, Lyubo (It's good, brothers, good) became popular throughout the rest of Russia. Many of the songs are about death in war. Up to the 18th century marriages and divorces were held in

4366-419: The Donetsk coal line. The station has been built by landless peasants and poor people from surrounding villages. By 1897, 2048 people inhabited the village close by the railway station. From 25-27 November 1898, a first strike at the station took place. 60 pointsmen were not working demanding reduction of a 16-hour duty shift. Originally, "Debaltseve" is associated with the neighbouring village Illinka which in

4484-593: The German Army, the XVth SS Cossack Cavalry Corps , a great part of them former Soviet citizens. The XVth SS Cossack Cavalry Corps included the 1st Cossack Division and the 2nd Cossack Division . The majority of the Cossacks remained loyal to the Red Army. In the earliest battles, particularly the encirclement of Belostok Cossack units such as the 94th Beloglisnky, 152nd Rostovsky and 48th Belorechensky regiments fought to their death. In

4602-599: The German lines and liberated Mineralnye Vody , and Stavropol . The Don Cossacks were revived in the early 1990s and were officially recognised by the Russian Government in 1997, its Ataman holding the rank, insignia and uniform of a full Marshal. In 1992 they joined the separatist forces during the Transnistria War . Don Cossacks volunteered by hundreds to fight in South Ossetia during

4720-460: The Germans. In the daily fight of 8 December 1941 at the station Borzhikovka units under the command of Martsinkevich killed 428 Germans (among them 3 officers), seized two 75 mm cannons , 1 mortar , 1 machine gun, 15 rifles, 7 submachine guns, 1 radio, 50 ammunition boxes (mortars), 5 ammunition boxes (cartridges), and a staff car with documents. During twenty-four hours on 10 December 1941,

4838-568: The Imperial Guard wore a "Tsar's green" (a dark shade common to the army) uniform, with the black and red distinctions of the artillery as a branch. Всколыхнулся, взволновался православный Тихий Дон written by Fedor Anisimov in 1853. (in Russian) Most Don Cossacks are Russian Orthodox , who consider themselves guardians of the faith. However, a large percentage of Don Cossacks were Starovers . Even in 1903,

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4956-479: The Italian Division "Torino" by two regiments continually attacked positions of the 1st Motorized Infantry Battalion which repelled nine enemy attacks and made two counterattacks. German troops sought at any price to complete the occupation of Donbas as fast as possible. Germany was in need of the biggest factories in the region, and its natural resources. On December 15 after multiple air raids supported by attacks of fresh infantry and motorized units, Germany pressed

5074-859: The Khans of the Orda, did not accept serfdom, were pained by all kinds of social injustice, and rebelled against feudal rule". More than two thousand years ago the Scythians lived on the banks of the river Don. Many Scythian tombs have been found in this area. Subsequently, the area was inhabited by the Khazars and the Polovtsians . From the 16th to the 18th centuries the steppes of the Don River were part of "the Wild Field" ( Russian : Дикое Поле ). In

5192-567: The Minsk agreements. Reuters described the ceasefire as " stillborn " in Debaltseve. One member of the Donbas Battalion said that the situation for Ukrainian soldiers in the city was dire, and resembled the " Ilovaisk kettle ", but on a much larger scale. Separatist forces pushed into Debaltseve proper on 17 February. For the first time, fighting took place in the streets of the city. Separatist authorities said that they had captured

5310-579: The Ottoman Turks to the south. The continued value of the Don and other Cossacks as mounted troops was illustrated by the decision taken in 1916 to dismount about a third of the regular Russian cavalry, but to retain the cossack regiments in their traditional role. At the outbreak of the February 1917 Revolution, three regiments of Don Cossacks (the 1st, 4th and 14th) formed part of the garrison of St. Petersburg. Consisting partly of new recruits from

5428-579: The Revolution. The Don Cossack Cavalry Corps saw extensive active service until 1943, after which its role diminished, as did that of the other remaining horse-mounted units in the Red Army. However Don Cossack cavalry was still in existence in 1945 and participated in the Victory Parade in Moscow . During World War II, the Don Cossacks mustered the largest single concentration of Cossacks within

5546-632: The Steppes. Gotho - Alans could also have played a role in forming Don Cossack culture, which originated in the western part of the North Caucasus . The theory of Russian historian A. M. Orlov is that Cossacks hosts were formed among Turkic nomads. He then thinks, that the Don Cossacks were originally formed largely by "Meshchera Tatars" under the Golden Horde , which he also connects to later Mishar Tatars . A. V. Mirtov wrote that

5664-460: The administration failed to keep to its promises. As a result, on 3 May workers left the factory half an hour earlier. With the support of local authorities and the police, businessmen suppressed the strike, completely rejecting the workers' demands. On the eve of the Revolution in 1905 Social Democratic party was created. Mechanics T.E. Batyschenko, A.I. Vaschaev, A.F. Svistunov, S.P. Fedoseyev and locomotive drivers G.G. Larkin, L.G. Martynenko joined

5782-523: The already controlled heights of a forest ravine. Here, the front line was stabilized until the summer of 1942. On 3 September 1943, Debaltseve was captured from German troops by Soviet units of the Southern Front as a part the Donbas operation . During first “ five-year plans ” the railway station and mechanical factory underwent reconstruction. The factory started to produce foundry ladles, iron and slag carriages, gates for blast furnaces. In

5900-469: The area around Debaltseve on 22 January. Heavy shelling continued into the next day, while Ukrainian forces continued to hold their positions in the city. An empty school building was hit by a shell during the fighting. In retaliation, Ukrainian forces began an artillery barrage on separatist positions outside the city. On the following day, the DPR vowed to retake Debaltseve, which was surrounded by DPR and LPR-controlled territory on three sides. According to

6018-572: The area around the Don River was divided between the Crimean west side and the Nogai east side . On their border since the 14th century the vast steppe of the Don region was populated by those people who were not satisfied with the existing social order, by those who did not recognize the power of the land-owners, by runaway serfs, by those who longed for freedom. In the course of time they turned into

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6136-654: The armed forces of the DPR and LPR . The Don Cossacks flag 3:4 was inaugurated during the Don Cossacks assembly in Novocherkassk , Don Republic , on 4 May 1918 under chiefing of Ataman Pyotr Krasnov . The flag has three colours: blue, yellow, and red. The flag is similar to that of the Ukrainian State , also established in 1918, which the Don Republic bordered to its west. The Don Cossacks Coat of Arms

6254-399: The beginning of 2015 the city was significantly destroyed during the fighting in this area . According to Mayor Alexander Afendikov, appointed by DPR authorities, 80% of the city was destroyed. As of the Ukrainian Census of 2001 : Battle of Debaltseve [REDACTED] Ukrainian Armed Forces [REDACTED] Ministry of the Internal Affairs [REDACTED] Ministry of

6372-493: The bodies of their comrades. Fighting continued along the Bakhmut highway into 14 February, as DPR insurgents continued their attempt to eliminate Ukrainian resistance. Donetsk regional chief of police Vyacheslav Abroskin said that intense shelling was "destroying Debaltseve". United States Department of State spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the Russian Armed Forces had deployed "a large amount of artillery and multiple rocket launcher systems around Debaltseve", and that Russia

6490-549: The buildings in the city centre were either heavily damaged or destroyed by the fighting. 48°22′48″N 38°20′43″E  /  48.3799°N 38.3454°E  / 48.3799; 38.3454 Don Cossacks Don Cossacks ( Russian : Донские казаки , romanized :  Donskiye kazaki , Ukrainian : Донські козаки , romanized :  Donski kozaky ) or Donians ( Russian : донцы , romanized :  dontsy , Ukrainian : донці , romanized :  dontsi ), are Cossacks who settled along

6608-445: The central market and a house were burned down due to fighting. The next day, DPR forces launched a counterattack against Ukrainian troops near the city. Ukrainian cities responded by shelling Debaltseve from the direction of Svitlodarsk . By 28 July, fighting was ongoing in the center of Debaltseve, although on 29 July Ukraine was able to hold the town. Fighting restarted on 23 January 2015, when DPR forces launched an offensive towards

6726-406: The church, followed by a marriage train. After the wedding all present would adjourn to the bridegroom's house. There, the parents would bless the couple, break a loaf of bread above their heads, and sprinkle them with wheat, nuts, sweets and hops. The bride's hair would then be unbraided according to traditional rites. When a son was born to a Cossack family, his parents presented him with an arrow,

6844-435: The city from the west and east, storming government positions in the nearby village of Chornukhyne . Nevertheless, shelling in the area was less severe than it had been in the days prior to the start of the ceasefire. OSCE monitors, meant to observe the implementation of Minsk II, were denied access to Debaltseve by the separatist authorities. Fighting further intensified into 16 February, with "non-stop explosions" striking

6962-505: The city had fallen to "bandits", and that some soldiers had been taken prisoner. Ukrainian soldiers in the village of Komuna, just west of Debaltseve, told reporters that they could maintain their positions only for twelve more hours or they would be overrun and killed by Russian forces. Concurrently, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military operation in Donbas said that Lohvynove and the Bakhmut highway had been returned to Ukrainian control. Ukrainian forces began to withdraw from Debaltseve in

7080-421: The city's railway station, and also its eastern outskirts. The NSDC spokesman denied this, and said that fighting was ongoing throughout Debaltseve. Following this, the separatists said that they had captured most of the city, and were conducting a "mopping-up operation". They said they had taken at least 300 Ukrainian soldiers prisoner. A statement issued by the Ukrainian Defence Ministry confirmed that part of

7198-407: The city, "it would definitely be either captivity or death". In order to find a usable route out of Debaltseve, ambulances were sent through "farmers' fields and down back roads", ensuring that such movements would not attract the notice of the separatists. Having selected a route north to the Ukrainian-controlled village of Luhanske, the withdrawal plan was put into action. Troop transports queued on

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7316-470: The city, and the strategic Bakhmut highway was under intense shelling. Government troops made an attempt to recapture Lohvynove, but were ambushed by Russian groups. One Ukrainian soldier described the situation in the village as a "meat grinder" that was "worse than even those in Donetsk and Luhansk airports". At least 96 Ukrainian soldiers were wounded, whilst the number of dead was unknown because Ukrainian forces were forced to escape before they could remove

7434-420: The city, creating an encirclement called the "Debaltseve pocket." The city's supply of electricity, heating, and communications were severed during the battle and residents were forced to hide in shelters. Ukrainian forces began to evacuate civilians from the city by early February. On 16 February DPR and LPR forces launched an assault, capturing the city from Ukraine after two days of intense urban combat. At

7552-528: The city. Early in the day, the Debaltseve police station was destroyed by separatist shelling. Kryvbas Battalion deputy commander Yuriy Sinkovskiy said that Ukrainian soldiers in Debaltseve were either completely or partially surrounded, and that there was no available communication link to the Ukrainian General Staff . Soldiers subsisted in freezing conditions and had little food or ammunition. Sinkovskiy said that he risked being court-martialed for disclosing this information, and that he simply wanted to save

7670-444: The city. During the February Revolution , the Civil War and up to the establishment of Soviet power in 1919, the city Debaltseve repeatedly passed "from hand to hand". At different periods of time in Debaltseve were Don Cossacks , and Denikin's forces and the Red Army . Already a few days after the October Revolution Central Council of Ukrainian People's Republic adopted the III Universal and they declared Debaltseve part of

7788-537: The city. Headlamps were kept off to avoid attracting the separatist attention. In spite of these preparations, the convoy was swiftly attacked by the separatist forces. Vehicles broke down and crashed, with fire raining down on the convoy from all sides. One soldier said that the separatists were "shooting with tanks, rocket-propelled grenades and sniper rifles", and that the column had been "disintegrated". Many soldiers were forced to abandon their vehicles and proceed on foot. Dead and wounded soldiers were left behind, as it

7906-412: The combat zone said that 8,000 residents had escaped from the Debaltseve area by 2 February. One aid worker said that pro-Russian forces were deliberately targeting the buses being used to transport residents out of the city. An observer with Amnesty International said that the humanitarian situation in Debaltseve had become "catastrophic". In order to assist the remaining Ukrainian troops in Debaltseve,

8024-446: The command of Ataman Susar Fedorov joined the Army of Ivan the Terrible during the Siege of Kazan in 1552. On 2 June 1556 the Cossack regiment of Ataman Lyapun Filimonov , together with the Army of Moscovits comprising strelets , conquered and annexed the Astrakhan Khanate . During the reign of Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV), the ataman Yermak Timofeyevich went on an expedition to conquer Siberia . After defeating Khan Kuchum in

8142-701: The course of war in Donbass , in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution . Ukrainian forces managed to recapture the city on 28 July 2014, and continued to hold on to it firmly until January 2015. After the Minsk Protocol ceasefire agreement was signed on 5 September 2014, intermittent violations occurred around Debaltseve. As the "LPR" and "DPR" forces commanded by Igor Girkin (who had FSB background) were largely formed of ex-soldiers and people with little military experience, they were losing to Ukrainian army counter-offensive. In response, Russian command made decision to send GRU military intelligence units to change balance of forces. Russian leadership insisted

8260-487: The deaths of three members of the Donbas Battalion , and injuring battalion commander Semenchenko . Evacuation of civilians from Debaltseve continued amid harsh winter conditions. As of that day, the city had been without water, gas, or electricity for at least ten days. According to Ukrainian prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk , at least 1,000 people had been evacuated from Debaltseve by 31 January. Ukrainian defence minister Stepan Poltorak confirmed that part of Debaltseve

8378-604: The direction of Horlivka , but were repelled. On the following day, a DPR commander said that his forces had captured the highway that leads into the city, and that the city had been nearly completely surrounded. However, Ukrainian member of parliament Dmytro Tymchuk said on 29 January that separatist forces had been forced to "scale back" their offensive in the Debaltseve area. According to him, an artillery counterattack by government forces had caused heavy losses amongst separatists that had been trying to cut off Ukrainian troops from Ukrainian-controlled territory. BBC News released

8496-524: The early morning on 18 February. Prior to the withdrawal, about 6,000 soldiers had been holed up in the city. Preparations for the retreat had been going on in secret for days prior. According to The New York Times , the leadership of the Ukrainian military operation had spent much time attempting to find a road to escape on, as the Bakhmut highway had become impassable. The situation in Debaltseve had become untenable for Ukrainian troops positioned there. One soldier said that if Ukrainian forces had stayed in

8614-400: The edge of Debaltseve at 01:00 EET. Soldiers were told to prepare to leave in ten minutes with no prior notice, and then to load into the prepared lorries. They abandoned their heavy weaponry, and destroyed their ammunition so as to prevent it from falling into separatist hands. After loading, the column of about 2,000 men, including tanks and other armoured vehicles, began to proceed away from

8732-536: The end of the 16th century until 1918. As of 1992, by presidential decree of the Russian Federation, Cossacks can be enrolled on a special register. A number of Cossack communities have been reconstituted to further Cossack cultural traditions, including those of the Don Cossack Host. Don Cossacks have had a rich military tradition - they played an important part in the historical development of

8850-502: The eve of World War I, the Don Cossack Host comprised 17 regular regiments plus 6 detached sotnias (squadrons). In addition two regiments of the Imperial Guard were recruited from the Don territory. By 1916 the Don Host had expanded to 58 line regiments and 100 detached sotnias. The central location of the Don territories meant that these units were employed extensively on both the German and Austro-Hungarian fronts, though less so against

8968-519: The fact that it was largely under DPR control. Spokesman for the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine (NSDC) Andriy Lysenko  [ uk ] said that reinforcements had arrived to relieve Ukrainian troops at Vuhlehirsk, and that the front line was holding. Over the course of the day, Ukrainian supply lines were nearly cut off, as Grad rocket fire made it difficult for armoured personnel carriers and lorries to travel on

9086-819: The fall of 1582 and occupying Isker , the capital of the Siberian Khanate , Yermak sent a force of Cossacks down the Irtysh in the winter of 1583. The detachment, led by Bogdan Bryazga (according to other sources, the Cossack chieftain Nikita Pan) passed through the lands of the Konda-Pelym Voguls and reached the walls of the town of Samarovo. Surprised by the Cossack attack, the Ostyaks surrendered. In fall 1585, shortly after Yermak's death, Cossacks led by voevoda (army commander) Ivan Mansurov founded

9204-460: The fate of the kulaks . According to historian Michael Kort, "During 1919 and 1920, out of a population of approximately 1.5 million Don Cossacks, the Bolshevik regime killed or deported an estimated 300,000 to 500,000". Others, such as Peter Holquist, estimate a figure of 10,000 deaths during this period, while a far greater number would die during the engineered Soviet famines of 1932–33 and

9322-510: The fighting was done by "LPR/DPR militias" in spite of overwhelming evidence that Russian soldiers and weapons were transferred through the border from Russia. Only after the start of the full-scale war in 2022 and especially after death of Dmitry Utkin ("Wagner") in 2023, Russian media and obituaries started openly mentioning their military engagement in Donbass. Thousands of Ukrainian troops dug in at Debaltseve in January 2015. The city

9440-620: The first Russian fortified town in Siberia, Obskoy , at the mouth of the Irtysh river on the right bank of the Ob river . The Mansi and Khanty lands thus became part of the Russian state, finally secured by the founding of the cities of Pelym and Berezov in 1592 and Surgut in 1594. As a result of Yermak's expedition, Russia was able to annex Siberia. In the 17th century Cossacks waged war against

9558-462: The front line which went across the eastern boundary of Debaltseve did not stop even at the beginning of January 1942. The 176th Infantry Division went into the offensive, and captured settlements Komisarivka and Oktyabrskiy. Again street battles, as well as sniper fire, broke out in the city. Again Soviet troops were forced to retreat, fortified their positions along the eastern boundary of the city on

9676-429: The ground disputed these numbers as grossly inaccurate, and said that the number of dead was "clearly in the hundreds". Two weeks later, the official casualty toll during the retreat was put at 19 dead, 12 missing, 9 captured and 135 wounded. Ukrainian government sources, on the other hand, reported that 185 soldiers had died during the battle, 112 had been taken prisoner, and 81 were missing. The Ukrainian death toll

9794-415: The headdress to denote the distinguished conduct of individual regiments. Officers had silver braiding on their collars and epaulettes plus silver/black girdles. Shoulder-straps of other ranks were the same dark blue as the caftan (coat). A whip was used instead of spurs. Prior to 1908, individual cossacks from all Hosts were required to provide their own uniforms (together with horses and harness). However

9912-407: The hinterlands of the 9th German Army before successfully breaking out. Whilst units under the command of General Pavel Belov, the 2nd Cavalry Corps of Don, Kuban and Stavropol Cossacks spearheaded the counter-attack onto the right flank of the 6th German Army, delaying its advance towards Moscow. The high professionalism that the Cossacks under Dovator and Belov (both generals would later be granted

10030-469: The history of the rest of Russia. In exchange for protection of the Southern borders of medieval Russia, the Don Cossacks were given the privilege of not paying taxes and the tsar's authority in Cossack lands was not as absolute as in other parts of Russia. During this period, three of Russia's most notorious rebels, Stenka Razin , Kondraty Bulavin and Emelian Pugachev , were Don Cossacks. After 1786,

10148-548: The last pockets of Ukrainian resistance in the Debaltseve area on 20 February, when they captured the villages of Chornukhyne , Ridkodub , Nikishyne  [ uk ] and Mius. According to a 27 February report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), DPR authorities found 500 civilian corpses in houses and cellars in Debaltseve after the battle. Nearly all of

10266-588: The late Middle Ages the area was under the general control of the Golden Horde , and numerous Tatar (especially Crimean Tatar ) armed groups roamed there, attacking and enslaving merchants and settlers. The first Christians to settle on the territories around the Don were the Jassi and Kosogi tribes of the Khazar Kaghanate of the 7th to 10th centuries. After the fall of the Golden Horde in 1480, more colonists started to expand onto this land from

10384-647: The left bank of the river Ei. During the opening phase of the Battle of Stalingrad , when the Germans overran the Kuban, the majority of the Cossack population, long before the Germans began their agitation with Krasnov and Shkuro, became involved in Partisan activity. Raids on the German positions from the Caucasus mountains became commonplace. After the German defeat at Stalingrad , the 4th Guards Kuban Cossack Corps, strengthened by tanks and artillery, broke through

10502-489: The life and language of Don Cossacks were heavily influenced by " Tatars from Meshchera ". G. Shtekl on the other hand wrote that the first Russian Cossacks were simply "Russified Tatars." V. N. Tatishchev: "Some of them lived in the small cities of Meshchera, their capital being Donskoy, where the Donskoy Monastery is now." A. A. Gordeyev connects them to the Golden Horde also, and states: "They did not fall under

10620-472: The loss of this town made it much more difficult for Ukrainian forces to hold onto Debaltseve. Meanwhile, three civilians in Debaltseve proper were killed by what government forces described as "continuous" shelling by the Russian forces. During the day on 30 January, shells hit a bus, and also a cultural centre in Kyibishevskiy district that was being used to distribute humanitarian aid. According to

10738-407: The men that were trapped in Debaltseve. He said that the troops should withdraw or even surrender if it would save their lives. DPR commander Eduard Basurin said that he would provide a corridor to allow Ukrainian troops to lay down their weapons and leave Debaltseve. Armed Forces spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov said that this was unacceptable, and that Debaltseve was Ukrainian territory according to

10856-423: The middle and lower Don . Historically, they lived within the former Don Cossack Host ( Russian : Донское казачье войско , romanized :  Donskoe kazache voysko , Ukrainian : Головне Донське військо , romanized :  Holovne Dons'ke viis'ko ), which was either an independent or an autonomous democratic republic in present-day Southern Russia and parts of the Donbas region of Ukraine , from

10974-466: The military camp in the area of the district called The First Platform . On 26 December Soviet soldiers of the 74th Infantry Division were ordered to leave the city. Together with fighters from the 71st Brigade they left Debaltseve, took up and strengthened defensive positions at a height of 326.6 m, near the Tolstova settlement . The 95th NKVD Regiment remained there until 1 March 1942. The fighting on

11092-403: The most famous Kuban Cossack unit was the 17th Cossack Corps under the command of general Nikolay Kirichenko . During one particular attack, Cossacks killed up to 1,800 enemy soldiers and officers, took 300 prisoners, and seized 18 artillery pieces and 25 mortars. The 5th and 9th Romanian Cavalry divisions fled in panic, and the 198th German Infantry division hastily departed with large losses to

11210-549: The next day. One resident of Debaltseve who had fled to Bakhmut said that there was "nothing left" in the city. Russian forces gained control of Vuhlehirsk on 4 February, allowing the separatists to increase shelling of the Bakhmut highway and Debaltseve. DPR and Ukrainian forces agreed to establish a humanitarian corridor on 6 February, in another attempt to allow the remaining civilians to escape from Debaltseve. Hundreds of civilians were able to flee. Fighting resumed on 7 February. Russian forces said that they had fully encircled

11328-559: The opening phase of the war, during the German advance towards Moscow, Cossacks were extensively used for raids behind enemy lines. The most famous of these took place during the Battle of Smolensk under the command of Lev Dovator , whose 3rd Cavalry Corps consisted of the 50th and 53rd Cavalry divisions from the Kuban and Terek Cossacks mobilised from the Northern Caucasus. The raid in ten days covered 300 km and destroyed

11446-762: The party. Debaltseve workers took an active part in the first Russian revolution. At the beginning of February 1905 in protest against the crackdown on the peaceful rally of workers in St. Petersburg employees of Debaltseve mechanical factory stopped working for a few days. On 1 May together with the railway workers, they arranged Mayovka in the forest. In 1905-1908 a freight station and two depots were built. Carriage workshops were expanded as well. In 1911 Debaltseve population reached 20 thousand people. There were two small hospitals, an outpatient clinic, one parochial, one zemskaya (derivates from Zemstvo – elective district council in pre-revolutionary Russia) and one railway schools in

11564-566: The poorer regions of the Host territory, these units were influenced by the general disillusionment with the Tsar's government. Accordingly, they did not act effectively when ordered to disperse the growing demonstrations in the city. Reports that the historically loyal Don Cossacks could no longer be relied on were a significant factor in the sudden collapse of the Tsarist regime. The Don Cossack Host

11682-418: The position of the 74th Infantry Division and fully occupied Debaltseve. However, some pockets of resistance in the city did not abate until 22 December when the soldiers of the 74th Division, the 95th NKVD Regiment and separate parts of the 71st Brigade burst in Debaltseve and captured the city. German troops suffered heavy losses; staff documents of the 117th Infantry Regiment were seized, as well as its banner,

11800-401: The river Krynka, Mius basin) originates in the southern outskirts of the city, the river Lozova (a tributary of the river Luhan , Siverskyi Donets basin) in the north-east, the river Sanzharivka (a tributary of the river Luhan) in the north, the river Skelevaya (a tributary of the river Lugan) in the north-west, and the river Karapulka  [ uk ] (a tributary of the river Luhan) in

11918-492: The same. Though fighting ceased across most of the combat zone, it continued at Debaltseve. DPR leader Alexander Zakharchenko said that Minsk II did not apply to Debaltseve, as it was not mentioned in the agreement. One Ukrainian soldier who was stationed at a checkpoint in the village of Luhanske , to the north of Debaltseve, said that there was "no ceasefire". During the course of 15 February, shelling struck Ukrainian positions, and separatist forces made multiple attacks upon

12036-447: The size and relative affluence of the Don Cossack Host permitted the setting up of communally owned clothing factories. A khaki field tunic was adopted in 1908, replacing the dark blue coats or white (summer) blouses previously worn for ordinary duties. However the blue riding breeches with broad red stripes long characteristic of the Don Host, continued to be worn even on active service during both World Wars. The Don Cossack Battery of

12154-487: The station, a mechanical factory was built that produced building trusses, spans of railway bridges, trolleys for the narrow-gauge railway. On 1 May 1899, the first strike took place at the mechanical factory. First of all the strikers demanded to reduce the working day from 10 hours 30 minutes to 10 hours, secondly announce 1 May a non-working day, and lastly put an end to the arbitrariness of masters and improve living conditions. After assuring strikers to fulfill their demands,

12272-575: The territory of the Don Cossacks was officially called Don Host Land, and was renamed Don Host Oblast in 1870 (presently part of the Rostov , Volgograd , and Voronezh regions of the Russian Federation as well as part of the Luhansk region of Ukraine ). In 1805 the Don Cossack capital was shifted from Cherkassk to Novocherkassk (New Cherkassk). Don Cossacks are credited with playing

12390-466: The title Hero of the Soviet Union and their units raised to a Guards (elite) status) ensured that many new units would be formed. The Germans during the whole war only managed to form two Cossack Corps, while the Red Army in 1942 alone had 17. Many of the newly formed units were filled with ethnically Cossack volunteers. The Kuban Cossacks were allocated to the 10th, 12th and 13th Corps. However,

12508-438: The town by capturing the village of Lohvynove on 9 February, thus "closing the kettle". Only four Ukrainian soldiers had been stationed in the village at the time, allowing the separatists to capture it easily. Government forces said that fighting was still ongoing on the Bakhmut highway, and that the kettle had not been completely closed. By the morning of 10 February, it became clear that separatist forces had gained control of

12626-518: The train was Ludmila Mokievskaya-Zubok (1896 – 9 May 1919, a Russian Red Army revolutionary, an active participant in the Civil War in 1918–1919, the only well-known woman - the commander of an armored train). During the battle for the station, she died. But after the Bolsheviks gained control over Debaltseve, troops of Lieutenant General Denikin re-took the city. The Soviet power in Debaltseve

12744-536: The western outskirts. Debaltseve city was founded in 1878 as a railway station due to the construction of the Catherine Railway (special government railway of Russian empire built in 1882–1904). Though at that time this station was well-equipped, it had a number of disadvantages: lack of office buildings, nowhere to place inspectors, a railway hospital was a room with eight beds in a paramedic's apartment. On 1 December 1878, regular train traffic commenced at

12862-625: Was also applied to migrants, free-booters and bandits . It has the same etymological root as " Kazakh ", an unrelated Central Asian Turkic people. The exact origins of Cossacks remain unclear. In the modern view, Don Cossacks descend from Slavic people connected with Russian lands like the Povolzhye , the Novgorod Republic , and the Principality of Ryazan , and Ukrainian lands like the Dnieper . As well as nomadic Turkic tribes inhabiting

12980-654: Was disbanded on Russian soil in 1918, after the Russian Revolution , but the Don Cossacks in the White Army and those who emigrated abroad, continued to preserve the traditions, musical and otherwise, of their host. Many found employment as trick riders in various circuses throughout Europe and the United States. Admiral Aleksandr Vasiliyevich Kolchak , one of the leaders of the White movement during

13098-465: Was established only by the end of 1919. In 1921 Debaltseve received the status of uyezd city of Bakhmut (later - Yenakiieve) district of Donetsk governorate of Ukrainian SSR . In 1921, among the workers - 65.9% were employed in the transport field (at the railway station and workshops), 15.7% - office personnel. In 1925 there was a reconstruction of the mechanical factory. Now it was equipped for blast-furnace and rolling production. Debaltseve received

13216-622: Was impossible to evacuate them. The withdrawal was complicated by the fact that government forces had not gained control of Lohvynove, as had been claimed a day earlier. Donbas Battalion commander Semen Semenchenko said "All the fairytales about Lohvynove turned out to be fairytales". Streams of ragged Ukrainian soldiers who had left Debaltseve arrived in Luhanske as the day went on. The New York Times said that Ukrainian forces had suffered "major losses, both in equipment and human life". Debaltseve fell silent by 15:00 EET. The flag of Novorossiya

13334-543: Was known from the 17th century. It was adopted as a symbol of the Don Republic on 15 September 1918. Until 1914 the distinguishing colour of the Don Cossack Host was red: worn on the cap bands and wide trouser stripes of a dark blue uniform of the loose-fitting cut common to the Steppe Cossacks. Tall lambskin hats were worn on occasion, with red cloth tops edged in white lace. Silver metal scrolls were worn on

13452-434: Was later updated to 267 dead, after the bodies of many of the missing were found. Separatist leaders also said that their forces had captured a significant amount of Ukrainian heavy weaponry that had been left behind during the retreat. Some soldiers remained trapped in Debaltseve on 19 February, but soldiers that previously escaped said that they were forbidden from rescuing their trapped comrades. Separatist forces removed

13570-438: Was no encirclement". Soldiers on the ground, however, disputed President Poroshenko's account. Some soldiers said that "they had actually been told to stay put", and that they had been "left to die in a trap". They said that the Ukrainian government and media repeated "lies" about the status of Debaltseve, and that Ukrainian forces had been surrounded for more than a week. First Lt. Yuriy Prekharia, who had previously survived

13688-483: Was raised over a former Ukrainian base of operations. Separatist authorities said that they had taken hundreds of Ukrainian troops captive. Ukrainian officials told AFP that during the evacuation "Full-scale street fighting continues and there was also a small tank battle." Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said that the withdrawal had been "planned and organised", and that this orderly withdrawal proved that Debaltseve had been under Ukrainian control, and that "there

13806-431: Was responsible for shelling of the city. A report by The New York Times said that the Bakhmut highway had become completely impassable by 12 February, and that no one had travelled on it since that day. It also said that the road had been laced with land mines . Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko ordered his forces to observe the ceasefire as it came into effect at 0:00 EET on 15 February, and insurgent commanders did

13924-527: Was under DPR control. On the first day of February, the situation in Debaltseve rapidly deteriorated. According to the Kyiv Post , some units of the National Guard of Ukraine had been forced to flee as Russian forces pushed into the outskirts of the city. The situation in Debaltseve continued to worsen into 2 February. The New York Times reported that it appeared that the separatists could seize

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