Paraskoviivka

50 residents of the settlement died during the Holodomor, resulting in an overall decrease in the population even after the collapse of the Soviet Union.[5]

In 2014, during the early outbreaks of violence in the Donbas, Paraskoviivka was used by Ukrainian forces to store supplies, while separatist and Ukrainian forces struggled for control of nearby Artemivsk.[6] Russian and DPR forces ultimately withdrew from the area after the Siege of Sloviansk.[7] Fighting continued in the area until 2017.[8][9]

Nearby Bakhmut was shelled on 17 May 2022,[10] and the surrounding area came under shellfire the following months, culminating in the battle for Bakhmut. On 1 August 2022, Russian forces launched attacks on Bakhmut and the settlements south and southeast of it.

As part of a winter escalation in late December 2022, the Russians launched an offensive to capture the Soledar - Bakhmut region, a strategic target because of its position in Donetsk Oblast. On 11–16 January 2023, Russian forces were reported to have captured Soledar.[11] With the capture of Sil, a village some 6 kilometers from Paraskoviivka, the railway line was cut off. On 24 January 2023, fighting reached Paraskoviivka, which had been almost completely encircled. Nearby Krasna Hora had also come under heavy attack.[12] Ukrainian forces were reported to have repelled several attacks in the area that day, but were under heavy pressure.[13]

On 14 January 2023, Russian forces were reported to have pushed south of Soledar and engaged at Blahodatne to block the key Donets Railway stations in Bakhmut and Paraskoviivka, contributing to the siege in the city later on.[24] Blahodatne was captured between 31 January and 2 February by Russian forces. Due to the large push against the settlement 1 person died on January 14.[25]

After the fall of Soledar on 16 January 2023[26] attempts to push even further were successful, with the captures of Blahodatne and Krasnopolivka.[27][28] This resulted in pushes around and within Bakhmut, which includes Krasna Hora and Paraskoviivka creating a front between both. By 18 January 2023, Krasna Hora was under fire control by Russian forces and they had pushed across the strategic highway between Bakhmut and Slovyansk, trying to move from Pidhorodne.[29][30]

By 23 January 2023, they had managed to reach the Bakhmutka river border of Paraskoviivka and had reached the outskirts of Paraskoviivka, nearly inside of it. They were also reported to have killed one civilian inside the city.[31] Right the next day the Russians were reported to have established fire control over southeastern Paraskoviivka.[32] Small advances continued on around the area between 25–29 January 2023, with 3 civilians dying on 27 January 2023 due to attacks,[33] 1 dying on 28 January 2023 and another attack on 29 January 2023 left 1 dead.[34]

On 31 January 2023, one person was reported dead after days of attacks in Paraskoviivka, Bakhmut and Vuhledar[35] along with one seriously wounded on 6 February.[36]

Attacks intensified across the next few days and on 2 February it was reported that Krasna Hora was encircled[37] and the Russians were pushing to encircle Paraskoviivka from the north and the south. On 4 February, Russian forces and PMC Wagner were reported to have started a large assault on the settlement,[38] and by 7 February they had established full fire control over the city and entered the northern part of the city.[39]

By 10 February 2023, Paraskoviivka and Krasna Hora were reported to have been partly encircled.[12] On 11 February 2023, Russian forces captured all of northern Paraskoviivka as the Ukrainian forces were reported be encircled inside the southern part.

The settlements were on a strategic highway between Bakhmut - Slovyansk, and on the same day, it was reported that PMC Wagner had captured Krasna Hora.[40][41] Paraskoviivka was then attacked from all sides.[42][43] Initial reports suggested that there were at least 1,500 Ukrainian soldiers inside the settlement, which was later dismissed.[44] On 13 February 2023, Ukrainian forces launched a small counter-attack which pushed the Russians out of M03 highway but a large counter-attack came later on in the day making the Russians re-establish control over it, on the same day, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the situation in Paraskoviivka as very ''difficult''.[45] By the next day the settlement came under siege, with fire control in the south,[46] control over the entire north,[47] the west under fire control and the east under massive pressure.

Paraskoviivka was reported to have been captured on 17 February, after heavy fighting during the preceding two days.[48][49][50] and a heavy siege which had caused damage in the settlement, but fighting officially ended on 18 February.