Bakhmut, also known as Artmivsk, is a city in Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine. It is located on the banks of the Bakhmutka River, a tributary of the Donets, about 92 km northeast of the regional capital Donetsk.
Bakhmut has a total area of 41.6 square kilometers and an altitude of 196 meters. The city is at the foot of the Donetsk ridge, a mountain range that straddles eastern Ukraine and is surrounded by forests and farmland.
The climate in Bakhmut is classified as a humid continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The average temperature in the coldest month is around -5°C, while the hottest July, the average temperature is around 21°C. The average annual precipitation in the city is 500 mm, with most of the precipitation occurring in summer.
Bakhmut is a regional center with a population of about 71,000 people. Bakhmut's economy is mainly based on mining and agriculture. The city has several coal mines and a chemical plant that produces various chemical products. Agriculture is mainly the cultivation of crops such as wheat, corn and sunflower.
Bakhmut has a rich and complex history, the surrounding area has been inhabited since ancient times, and archaeological evidence suggests that there were early farming communities in the area in the fourth millennium BC.
In medieval times, the area was part of Kievan Rus and later belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Bahemut's history before the 18th century is rarely documented, and it was originally a border post.
In 1701, Peter I ordered the upgrading of the fortress of Bakhmut and designated the adjoining village of Bakhmut as a city. Because the town was on the main communication route between Moscow and Constantinople, it gradually became an important center of trade and commerce.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Bahmut continued to grow and develop, building new churches, schools and cultural institutions. The economy is based on agriculture, with crops such as wheat and barley growing in the surrounding fields. In 1876, a large number of rock salt deposits were discovered in the Bakhmut basin, and the number of salt deposits increased rapidly, and this area soon produced 12% of the total Russian salt production at that time!
Citizen of Bakhmut
During World War II, the town was occupied by German troops. After the war, Bakhmut underwent significant industrial development, building new coal mines and chemical plants. In honor of the Soviet statesman Artem-Mikoyan, the city was renamed Artemivsk until the name was abolished in 2020.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Bakhmut became part of Ukraine. In 2014, the city became the focus of conflict in eastern Ukraine, with pro-Russian forces seizing much of the region's control.
Bakhmut is a small but important city in the Donetsk region and is of great military-strategic importance due to its location in eastern Ukraine. Located close to the Russian border and on a major transport route connecting the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, the city is a key location for military and civilian transport.
In the recent Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Bakhmut was the most contested region between Ukraine and Russia. Since the Battle of Bakhmut, which broke out in 2022, most of the population has fled and the city has been severely damaged.
The Donetsk ridge, which runs through the region, is also strategically important, providing a natural defensive barrier. This makes Bakhmut and the surrounding area the focus of military operations and a key location for infrastructure such as checkpoints, supply depots and military bases.
In addition, Bakhmut is located in the heart of several cities in eastern Ukraine, including the city of Donetsk, which is the main hub of coal mining and steel industry in the region, and controlling Bakhmut can give you a huge advantage in controlling regional resources.
In general, Bakhmut is a very important strategic location in eastern Ukraine.