Yakymivka

Yakymivka (Якимівка) is a rural settlement in Melitopol Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, east-central Ukraine. It was formerly the administrative center of Yakymivka Raion until the raion was abolished in 2020. Population:

Yakymivka was first mentioned in historical documents in 1833 and named in honor of Yakym Kolosov, regional police ispravnic.

History
Yakymivka came under attack during the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine and was subsequently captured and occupied by Russian military forces. During the ongoing Russian occupation, the town became the scene of significant partisan warfare. On 28 April 2022, partisans destroyed the Yakymivka Railway Bridge with an explosive charge, disrupting vital Russian supply lines for weeks. On 11 June 2023, pro-Ukrainian guerillas blew up another key railway line near the settlement. In early April 2024, the former Russian-appointed mayor Maxim Zubarev was severly injured when pro-Ukrainian militants blew up his car.

Demographics
At the time of the 2001 Ukrainian census, the settlement had a population of 12,832. Ukrainians constitute the majority of the population, yet over 80% of the inhabitants consider Russian as their native language.