In 1918, it was founded as the village of "Sukhoivanovka". During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1943), the village was under German occupation. In 1987, it was renamed the urban-type settlement of Stepnogorsk.
In January 1989, the population was 6,083 people. Until 26 January 2024, Stepnohirsk was designated as an
urban-type settlement. On this day, a new law entered into force which abolished this status, and Stepnohirsk became a rural settlement.
Russo-Ukrainian war On 2 January 2025, a Russian airstrike struck the settlement, killing 1 person. On 14 September 2025, Russian Forces entered the south-eastern part of the settlement. On 28 December 2025, Russia released a statement announcing capture of Stepnohirsk. Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Counteracting Disinformation, said Russia does not control Stepnohirsk and stressed that
Valery Gerasimov's claims about capturing the city are a falsehood. On 18 January 2026,
Ukrinform confirmed partial Russian control of the settlement. == Demographics ==