Svatove

Svatove (Сватове, ; Сватово, ) is a city on the Krasna River in Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Svatove Raion. Its population is It has been occupied by Russia since 2022.

History
After the proclamation of the separatist Luhansk People's Republic on 27 April 2014, Luhansk Oblast became a battlefield of the war in Donbas. Svatove stayed under Ukrainian governmental control. The separatist referendum on 11 May 2014 on independence was not held in the city.

On 29–30 October 2015, two people were reported dead and eight wounded as a result of explosions caused by fire at the munitions depot in Svatove.

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Svatove was occupied by Russian and Luhansk People's Republic forces on 6 March 2022. Following a major counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces in early September 2022, it was reported that Russian forces were leaving the city. On 14 September, it was reported that Russian troops had returned. Since then, they have occupied the city, and it has served as one of the major nodes of the Luhansk Oblast campaign.

Geography
The city occupies a strategic location in the valley of the Krasna river, with wooded hills to the east and west. The P07 road running SE–NW from Starobilsk to Kupiansk crosses the river and meets the P66 road from Kreminna. A railway was built from Lysychansk in 1894 and extended to Kupiansk in 1895. It is now part of the Donets Railway.

Demography
In 2021 it had a population of 16,420.

Ethnic makeup of the population as of 2001:

Language
Distribution of the population by native language according to the 2001 census:

Economy
The town primarily serves the surrounding agricultural area, with some metal working, textiles and light industry. There is a processing plant for sunflower oil that was built in 1902–03.

Culture, community and landmarks
The Svatove district museum of local history was founded in 1962 and has over 10,000 objects. There is a Memorial of Glory, Memory and Sorrow in the centre of the city, and a steam locomotive monument on Pryvokzalny Square. There is a Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The former Theological Seminary is now the Number 1 Secondary School. There are five secondary schools and five primary schools. There is a specialist sports school. Svatovo's Municipal Housing and Utilities Enterprise maintains 112 residential buildings, including 44 multi-storey buildings and 6 dormitories. The company repairs roofs, heating systems, removes garbage, landscapes, and more.

A local newspaper has been published in the city since September 1931.

Notable people
Yaroslav Yampol is a footballer who played for Ukraine at youth team level and is playing for Świt Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in Poland.