Pre-founding The site of modern Volnovakha was inhabited during the
Bronze Age, as is evidenced by archaeological excavations in the northeast part of the city. A burial in a stone tomb has been uncovered, and
stone babas indicate the presence of
nomadic peoples in the area.
Founding and early history Volnovakha was founded as a railway station in the
Russian Empire in 1881. Its name is derived from that of the river, which originates nearby. The station became a railway hub in 1904, contributing to its development and that of the settlement growing around it.
In the Soviet Union Volnovakha received
urban-type settlement status in 1923, Volnovakha received city status in 1938. In 1939, the city's population was 15,261 people. Eventually, Volnovakha was liberated by the
Red Army on 10 September 1943, after fierce fighting on the
Kalmius river. The Nazis destroyed much of the city behind them during their retreat.
Russo-Ukrainian War During the
war in Donbas, pro-Russian separatists captured the city in May 2014. The Ukrainian military recaptured it in July. A monument to those killed in the attack was unveiled on 13 January 2017. In May 2015, a community of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate was registered in Volnovakha. They said that this had not been possible before, due to fear of the
Viktor Yanukovych regime that had been recently deposed in the 2014
Revolution of Dignity. In October 2015, a monument to Vladimir Lenin was demolished in Volnovakha as part of
decommunization in Ukraine. In 2018, a new
Ukrainian Greek Catholic church was opened in the city. During the 2022
Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces
fought for control of the city and engaged in
indiscriminate bombing of Volnovakha, shelling civilian areas. The
terror bombing of the cities violated international law and echoed tactics Russia had previously used on civilian targets
in Syria. Volnovakha was reported to be on the verge of humanitarian crisis on 28 February and almost destroyed by 1 March, with around 90% of its buildings either damaged or destroyed. Surviving residents were cut off from food, water, and electricity. Following the assault, bodies lay uncollected in the streets. On 12 March, Euronews reported that much of the town was in ruins after the fighting. On 1 April,
Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of Donetsk Oblast, said that 90% of its critical infrastructure was destroyed. On 27 October 2023, Ukrainian prosecutors said that
nine members of a Ukrainian family in occupied Volnovakha were murdered by Russian soldiers in their sleep. A few days prior, the family had refused to vacate their house to allow the soldiers to reside there. On 1 June 2025, Ukrainian partisans successfully sabotaged a newly constructed railway line near the town, which was used by the Russian military to transfer military equipment to the frontline. == Economy ==