Donetsk

American

[duh-netsk, duh-nyetsk] / dəˈnɛtsk, dʌˈnyɛtsk /

noun

a city in eastern Ukraine, in the Donets Basin.

Donetsk British

/ daˈnjɛtsk /

noun

Former names (from 1924 until 1961): Stalin. Stalino. a city in E Ukraine: the chief industrial centre of the Donbass; first ironworks founded by a Welshman, John Hughes (1872), after whom the town was named Yuzovka (Hughesovka). Pop: 992 000 (2005 est)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Fuel rationing has been imposed in Luhansk and Donetsk, and supplies have already run out in Crimea.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

Ayrton Redfearn, 23, from south Devon died in the Donetsk region on 9 May after joining a specialist unit supporting the Ukrainian army in 2025, his mother has confirmed.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Located in the city center, the Donetsk Regional Academic Drama Theater became a makeshift bomb shelter in the immediate days after the invasion, housing up to 1,500 Mariupoltsi pursuing refuge.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

His father said he has photos, videos and audio recordings proving his presence in the Donetsk region, an area of active fighting.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

It also said four attempts by Ukrainian troops to advance in Sumy and Donetsk were "thwarted".

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023