View source for Donets

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Short description|River in Ukraine and Russia}}
{{Redirect|Donetz|the Soviet cargo ship|SS Donetz|other uses|Donets (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Donets
| native_name        = 
| native_name_lang   = 
| name_other         = 
| name_etymology     = 
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = Северский Донец и Святогорская Лавра. 2006.jpg
| image_size         = 250
| image_caption      = View of the Donets and [[Sviatohirsk Lavra]], the [[Holy Mountains (Ukraine)|Holy Mountains]].
| map                = Seversky Donets.png
| map_size           = 250
| map_caption        = Map of the Donets basin
| mapframe           = yes
| mapframe-zoom      = 5
| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_map_size   = 250
| pushpin_map_caption= 
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[Russia]], [[Ukraine]]
| subdivision_type2  = 
| subdivision_name2  = 
| subdivision_type3  = 
| subdivision_name3  = 
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| subdivision_type5  = Cities
| subdivision_name5  = [[Belgorod]], [[Lysychansk]], [[Sievierodonetsk]]
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length             = {{convert|1053|km|mi|abbr=on}} 
| width_min          = 
| width_avg          = 
| width_max          = 
| depth_min          = 
| depth_avg          = 
| depth_max          = 
| discharge1_location= 
| discharge1_min     = 
| discharge1_avg     = {{convert|159|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_max     = 
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = 
| source1_location   = [[Prokhorovsky District]], [[Belgorod Oblast]], Russia
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|50|57|52|N|36|54|9|E|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation  = {{convert|200|m|abbr=on}}
| mouth              = [[Don (river)|Don]]
| mouth_location     = [[Rostov Oblast]], Russia
| mouth_coordinates  = {{coord|47|36|1|N|40|53|48|E|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation    = {{convert|5.5|m|abbr=on}}
| progression        = {{RDon}}
| river_system       = 
| basin_size         = {{convert|98900|km2|abbr=on}}
| tributaries_left   = 
| tributaries_right  = 
| custom_label       = 
| custom_data        = 
}}

The '''Seversky Donets''' ({{Langx|ru|Се́верский Доне́ц}}) or '''Siverskyi Donets''' ({{Langx|uk|Сіверський Донець}}), usually simply called the '''Donets''' ({{langx|ru|Донец||[[Don (river)|Don]] + ''-&nbsp;ets, suffix''}}), is a [[river]] on the south of the [[East European Plain]]. It originates in the [[Central Russian Upland]], north of [[Belgorod]], flows south-east through [[Ukraine]] ([[Kharkiv Oblast|Kharkiv]], [[Donetsk Oblast|Donetsk]] and [[Luhansk Oblast]]s) and then again through [[Russia]] ([[Rostov Oblast]]) to join the river [[Don (river)|Don]], about {{convert|100|km|abbr=on}} from the [[Sea of Azov]]. The Donets is the [[List of rivers of Ukraine|fourth-longest river]] in Ukraine, and the largest in [[eastern Ukraine]], where it is an important source of fresh water. It gives its name to the Donets Basin, known commonly as the [[Donbas]], an important [[Coal in Ukraine|coal-mining]] and [[Industry of Ukraine|industrial]] region in Ukraine.

==Etymology==
The names ''Don'' and its diminutive ''Donets'' are derived from [[Iranic]], [[Sarmatian language|Sarmatian]] {{lang|xsc-Latn|Dānu}} "the river".<ref name="Mallory, J.P 2000. p. 106">Mallory, J.P. and Victor H. Mair.  ''The Tarim Mummies: Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest Peoples from the West''.  London: Thames and Hudson, 2000. p. 106</ref><ref>[http://i.ironau.ru/pdf/osjazfolk1949.pdf Абаев В. И. Осетинский язык и фольклор (Ossetian language and folklore). Moscow:  Publishing house of Soviet Academy of Sciences, 1949. P. 236]</ref>  Scytho-Sarmatians inhabited the areas to the north of the [[Black Sea]] from 1100 BC into the early medieval times.

In the 2nd century CE [[Ptolemy]] knew the river Don, into which the Donets flows, as ''Tanais'',<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qh7nDfGm7BkC&pg=PA71 |page=71 |title=The story of maps |author=Brown, Lloyd Arnold |publisher=Courier Dover Publications |isbn=0-486-23873-3 |year=1979}}</ref> and Western Europeans recognized that the Don had a significant tributary which they called either the small Tanais or ''Donetz''.<ref>{{cite book | url = https://archive.org/details/geographysystem00renngoog | page = [https://archive.org/details/geographysystem00renngoog/page/n114 76] | title = The geography system of Herodotus examined and explained, by a comparison with those of other ancient authors, and with modern geography  |author = Rennell, James | year = 1830 | publisher = C.J.G. & F. Rivington}}</ref> The Slavic name of ''Seversky Donets'' derived from the fact that the river originates from the land of [[Severians]]<!-- ("Sever" is "North" in Russian) [this is true but etymologically irrelevant]-->. As the Italian-Polish chronicler [[Alexander Guagnini]] (1538–1614) wrote: "There is also another, small Tanais, which originates in the Seversky Principality (for this reason it is called Donets Seversky) and flows into the large Tanais above [[Azov]]".<ref>Guagnini, Alexander  
[http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/rus5/Gwagnini/frametext1.htm ''Description of Muscovy'']. 1997 reprint (in Russian): Есть также другой, малый Танаис, который берёт своё начало в Северском княжестве (поэтому он называется Донец Северский) и выше Азова впадает в большой Танаис.
</ref>

==Geography and hydrology==
[[File:Donrivermap.png|thumb|left|Seversky Donets and [[Don (river)|Don]] rivers]]
The Donets is the largest river in eastern Ukraine and the largest [[tributary]] of the [[Don (river)|Don]]. Its total length is {{convert|1053|km|abbr=on}} and the [[river basin|basin]] area is {{convert|98900|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name=gvr>[http://textual.ru/gvr/index.php?card=171543 «Река Северский Донец (Северный Донец)»], Russian State Water Registry</ref> Most of the river's length {{convert|950|km|abbr=on}} stretches across Ukraine.<ref name=encyclopedia_ukraine>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CD%5CO%5CDonetsRiver.htm|title=Donets River |encyclopedia=encyclopediaofukraine.com |access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref> The average annual flow is {{convert|25|m3/s|abbr=on}} near the source and {{convert|200|m3/s|abbr=on}} at the confluence to the Don.<ref name="GidroSSSR">Bliznyakov E., Ovchinnikov KM, Bykov, VD ''Hydrography of the rivers of USSR'', Gidrometeoizdat, Leningrad, 1945.</ref><ref>Kimstach, p. 376</ref><ref name=b1>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y5BLCAdgadMC&pg=PA438|page=438|title=Conflict and the environment|author=Gleditsch, Nils Petter |publisher=Springer|year=1997|isbn=0-7923-4768-4}}</ref>

The Donets originates on the [[Central Russian Upland]], near Podolkhi village, [[Prokhorovka]] area, north of [[Belgorod]],<ref name="Belgorod">Antimonov NA ''Nature of the Belgorod Oblast'', Belgorod Publishing House, 1959</ref> at an elevation of {{convert|200|m|abbr=on}} above sea level. Its basin contains over 3000 rivers, of which 425 are longer than {{convert|10|km|abbr=on}} and 11 are longer than {{convert|100|km|abbr=on}}; 1011 of those rivers directly flow into the Donets.<ref name=govua>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbuv.gov.ua/portal/natural/vkhnu/Biol/2008_828/pdf/65.pdf|language=ru|publisher=Kharkiv University; hosted at gov.ua|author1=Shandikov, G. O.|author2=Goncharov, G. L.|title=Редкие виды рыб бассейна Северского Донца Северо-восточной Украины |trans-title=Rare fish types of the Donets basin in the north-eastern Ukraine)|year=2008}}</ref><ref name="Kray">Рідний edge Харківський dominant педагогічний університет, Харків, 1999 {{ISBN|966-7542-20-3}}</ref><ref name="GidroHarkov">Demchenko MA ''Hydrography of Kharkiv Oblast''  Proceedings of the Geographical Society of Kharkiv. Volume VIII. Kharkiv Oblast. Nature and economy, Kharkiv State University, Kharkiv, 1971</ref> These rivers are mostly fed by melting snow, and thus the water supply is uneven during the year. The spring [[flood]] lasts about two months, from February to April<ref name=bse/> – during this period the water level rises by {{convert|3|to|8|m|abbr=on}}. Excessive flooding is rare due to numerous artificial water reservoirs constructed along the river.<ref name="GidroHarkov"/><ref>Kimstach, p. 409</ref>

[[File:Donec near shepilovo.JPG|thumb|Near [[Shypylivka]]]]
The width of the river mostly ranges between {{convert|30|and|70|m|abbr=on}},<ref name=b1/> sometimes reaching {{convert|100|-|200|m|abbr=on}} and even {{convert|4|km|abbr=on}} in the reservoir area. The river bottom is sandy and uneven, with the depth varying between {{convert|0.3|and|10|m|abbr=on}} and the average value of {{convert|2.5|m|abbr=on}}.<ref name=b1/>  The river freezes from around mid-December until late March<ref name=bse/> and is covered by {{convert|20|-|50|cm|abbr=on}} thick ice. It flows into the Don {{convert|218|km|abbr=on}} from the latter's mouth, at an elevation of {{convert|5.5|m|abbr=on}} above sea level; thus the fall of the river is {{convert|195|m|abbr=on}} with the average gradient of 0.18 m/km.<ref name="GidroHarkov"/>
 
;Tributaries and reservoirs
* Right bank: Babka, [[Udy (river)|Udy]], Mozh, Bereka, [[Kazennyi Torets]], [[Bakhmutka]], [[Luhan (river)|Luhan]], Luhanchyk, Great Kamianka, [[Kundryuchya]]
* Left bank: [[Nezhegol (river)|Nezhegol]], [[Vovcha (Donets)|Vovcha]], Khotimlia, Velykyi Burluk, Hnylytsia, Balakliika, Iziumets, [[Oskil (river)|Oskil]], Netryus, [[Zherebets_River|Zherebets']], [[Krasna (river)|Krasna]], Borova, [[Aidar (river)|Aidar]], [[Derkul]], Glubokaya, Kalitva, Bystraya
* Water reservoirs: Belgorod water reservoir, Pechenizke water reservoir

==Current==
[[File:Pechenezhskoe vodochranilishe.jpg|thumb|140px|Satellite view of the Pechenizke Reservoir]]
The flow is slow, between {{convert|0.15|m/s|abbr=on}} at [[Chuhuiv]] and {{convert|1.41|m/s|abbr=on}} near [[Lysychansk]].<ref name="Vishnevskiy">Wisniewski В.І. ''Гідрологічні characteristics річок Ukraine'', Ніка-Center, Kyiv, 2003 (in Ukrainian)</ref> The river valley is wide: from {{convert|8|-|10|km|abbr=on}} in the upper part and up to {{convert|20|-|26|km|abbr=on}} downstream, and is asymmetrical. The right bank is usually high, sometimes with chalk cliffs, and is dissected by gullies. The left bank is more flat, contains numerous swamps, lakes and [[oxbow lake]]s,<ref name=bse/> the largest of which is lake Lyman. The river is meandering, especially above the [[Oskil (river)|Oskil]] tributary.

Upstream, above Belgorod, the river contains several [[dam]]s and small reservoirs. Downstream, below the confluence with the Wolf River (Volchiya River), there is the Pechenizke Reservoir (volume 86&nbsp;km<sup>3</sup>),<ref name=bse>{{GSEn|100668|Северский Донец (Seversky Donets)}}</ref> which supplies water to the city of [[Kharkiv]]. Below the Pechenizke Reservoir, the Donets is fed by the [[Udy (river)|Udy]] and by its largest tributary, the Oskil. There the valley widens and its floodplain creates numerous oxbow lakes. Within Ukraine, the river flows between the Cisdesna plateau<ref name=donets_lowland>{{cite web|url=http://www.horyzont.narod.ru/encyklopedia2/en_2_donecka_nyzow.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813143858/http://www.horyzont.narod.ru/encyklopedia2/en_2_donecka_nyzow.htm |title=Horyzont |trans-title=Horizon |archive-date=13 August 2014 |work=narod.ru |access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref> and the Donets lowland.<ref name=donets_lowland/> In its middle, the river is partly fed by the [[Dnieper]] waters, which are brought though the Dnieper–Donbas–Seversky Donets channels which provide water to the coal industry of the [[Donets Basin]] (usually called the Donbas). Near the Russian city of [[Donetsk, Russia|Donetsk (Rostov oblast)]], the river crosses the [[Donets Ridge]] and flows in a narrow valley with steep and rocky slopes. In the lower part of the Donets lowland,<ref name=donets_lowland/> the flow is interrupted by [[sluice]]s and is slow. At the delta, it splits into three [[Distributary|distributaries]].<ref name=bse/>

==Navigation==
At present, the Donets is navigable up to the city of [[Donetsk, Russia|Donetsk]] ([[Rostov Oblast]]), 222&nbsp;km from the mouth.<ref name=bse/> Navigation on the last section is supported by six dams, built from 1911 to 1914.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sarkel.ru/istoriya/istoriya_kazachestva/varianty_soedineniya_volgi_i_dona/|title=Саркел.ру -Варианты соединения Волги и Дона |trans-title=Sarkel.ru - Options for connecting the Volga and the Don |work=sarkel.ru |access-date=5 March 2015 |archive-date=7 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307221531/http://sarkel.ru/istoriya/istoriya_kazachestva/varianty_soedineniya_volgi_i_dona|url-status=dead}}</ref> Each consists of a {{convert|100|-|150|m|adj=on|sp=us}} long concrete dam and a single-chamber sluice, {{convert|100|m|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|17|m|abbr=on}} wide and {{convert|2.5|m|abbr=on}} deep. At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries, a number of attempts were made to revive shipping, in particular, for the sake of the possibility of water transportation of minerals in the Donbass. One of the enthusiasts of the project was D. I. Mendeleev, who wrote about the need to “arrange the Donets […] for our Russian needs […] because the Donets, due to the importance of the interests involved in it, is most necessary”[39]. The developer of the project was the Russian hydraulic engineer Nestor Platonovich Puzyrevsky, known for his contribution to the Volga-Don Canal project. In 1903-1904, he conducted a detailed study of the channel of the Seversky Donets and proposed a project to restore the navigation of the Seversky Donets to the city of Belgorod, which involves the construction of a large number of locks<ref name="Mendeleev">Mendeleev D.I. ''Future force resting on the banks of the Donets''. "Northern Herald", No. 8 – 12, 1888</ref><ref name="Puzyrevskiy">Puzyrevskyi N.P. ''Prospecting on Sev. Donets River in 1903 and 1904 and the project of the waterway from Kharkiv and Belgorod to the confluence of river Donets'', St. Petersburg, 1910</ref> were interrupted by [[World War I]], [[Russian Civil War]] and lack of funds. The design of the dams and their old age slowed the navigation of the river, which is currently rather limited.

{| Class = "wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;"
|+ Major features on the Donets (from [[Source (river or stream)|source]] to [[Mouth (water stream)|mouth]])<ref name=bse/>
! Country
! Oblast
! Dist. from the mouth, km
! Dist. from the source, km
! Name
! Type
! Note
|-
! {{RUS}}
| [[Belgorod Oblast|Belgorod]]
| 1053
| 0
|
| Source
| Near Podolkhi village, [[Prokhorovka]] area
|-
! {{RUS}}
| [[Belgorod Oblast|Belgorod]]
| 990
| 63
| [[Belgorod]]
| City
|
|-
! {{RUS}}
| [[Belgorod Oblast|Belgorod]]
| 990
| 63
| Belgorod Reservoir
|
|
|-
! {{UKR}}
| [[Kharkiv Oblast|Kharkiv]]
| 940
| 113
| {{ill|Pechenizke Reservoir|uk|Печенізьке водосховище}}
|
|
|-
! {{UKR}}
| [[Kharkiv Oblast|Kharkiv]]
| 874
| 179
| [[Pechenihy]]
| [[Urban-type settlement]]
| Annual consumption of 24.5 m<sup>3</sup>/s<ref name="Kadastr">State Water Cadastre. Annual data on mode and surface water resources. Parts 1 and 2, Volume II, Issue 3. RIHMI-WDC, Obninsk, 1989</ref>
|-
! {{UKR}}
| [[Kharkiv Oblast|Kharkiv]]
| 837
| 216
| [[Chuhuiv]]
| City
| Annual consumption of 20.5 m<sup>3</sup>/s<ref name="Kadastr"/>
|-
! {{UKR}}
| [[Kharkiv Oblast|Kharkiv]]
| 634
| 419
| Bereka River and Dnieper – Donbas channel
| Right [[tributary]]
| Length 102&nbsp;km; 2,680&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> basin
|-
! {{UKR}}
| [[Kharkiv Oblast|Kharkiv]]
| 600
| 453
| [[Izium]]
| City
| Annual consumption 52 m<sup>3</sup>/s<ref name="GidroHarkov"/>
|-
! {{UKR}}
| [[Kharkiv Oblast|Kharkiv]]
| 580
| 473
| [[Oskil (river)|Oskil]]
| Left tributary
| Length 436&nbsp;km; 14,680&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> basin 
|-
! {{UKR}}
| [[Donetsk Oblast|Donetsk]]
| 518
| 535
| [[Raihorodok]]
| Urban-type settlement
| Start of Donets-Donbas channel<ref name=bse/>
|-
! {{UKR}}
| [[Donetsk Oblast|Donetsk]]
| 516
| 537
| [[Kazennyi Torets]]
| Tributary
| Length 129&nbsp;km; 5410&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> basin
|-
! {{UKR}}
| [[Luhansk Oblast|Luhansk]]
| 482
| 571
| [[Rubizhne]]
| City
|
|-
! {{UKR}}
| [[Luhansk Oblast|Luhansk]]
| 432
| 621
| [[Lysychansk]]
| City
| Annual consumption 106 m<sup>3</sup>/s<ref name="Kadastr"/>
|-
! {{UKR}}
| [[Luhansk Oblast|Luhansk]]
| 430
| 623
| [[Sievierodonetsk]]
| City
|
|-
! {{UKR}}
| [[Luhansk Oblast|Luhansk]]
| 306
| 747
| [[Luhansk]]
| City
|
|-
! {{RUS}}
| [[Rostov Oblast|Rostov]]
| 222
| 831
| [[Donetsk, Russia]]
| City
| Start of the ship navigation zone
|-
! {{RUS}}
| [[Rostov Oblast|Rostov]]
| 197
| 856
| [[Kamensk-Shakhtinsky]]
| City
| Annual consumption 159 m<sup>3</sup>/s
|-
! {{RUS}}
| [[Rostov Oblast|Rostov]]
| 0
| 1053
|
| Mouth
| 218&nbsp;km from the confluence of the [[Don (river)|Don]] to [[Azov Sea]]
|}

==History==
[[File:Mustierskoe rubilo Donets.png|thumb|110px|Drawing of a Stone Age tool found near the village of Krasny Yar, Luhansk Oblast.<ref>Shramko BA ''History of Seversky Donets'' Kharkiv University, 1962</ref>]]

===Pre-industrial era===

The river played a crucial role for its ancient settlers as a source of water and food, means of transportation and trade route. The first archaeological evidence of settlers relates to Cheulean{{citation needed|date=June 2019}} and [[Acheulean]] periods of [[Lower Paleolithic]] through stone tools (axes) found on the river banks near [[Izium]] city of Kharkiv Oblast and in Luhansk Oblast.<ref name="Boriskovsky">Boriskovsky PI ''Paleolithic Ukraine'', Materials and Research on the Archaeology of the USSR (MIA), v. 40, Moscow, Leningrad, 1953</ref> Over the ages, the river banks were populated by tribals of various cultures, including [[Mousterian]], [[Yamna culture|Yamna]], [[Catacomb culture|Catacomb]], [[Scythians|Scythian]], [[Alans|Alan]], [[Khazars|Khazar]] and later [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] cultures. Many of the related tribals had nomadic lifestyle characteristic of [[Kipchak people]], [[Golden Horde]] and later of [[Cossacks]]. The river flows through the historic lands of [[Sloboda Ukraine]] as well as the lands of Don River Host. The many Cossacks became later assimilated into the strengthening Russian Empire, which had rebuilt and reinforced the fortress of Belgorod and cities of [[Kyiv]], [[Izium]], [[Luhansk]], [[Chuhuiv]] and others in order keep defensive lines against the raids of nomads from the south-east. Later, the protective role of the river basin gave way to economic needs. In the 18th–19th centuries, the river was extensively used for watermills, which numbered by hundreds by the end of the 18th century, and the mill dams interrupted navigation on the river.<ref name="Opisanie1788">"Описания Харьковского наместничества конца XVIII века". Original publication year 1788. Kiev, Наукова думка, 1991, [[:ru:Файл:Судоходство по Донцу 1785.JPG|p. 39]] (in Russian)</ref>

===Industrial era===

[[Industrialization]] in the 20th century shifted interests to mineral exploitation in [[Donbas]], with water-hungry plants concentrated mostly in [[Kyiv]], [[Luhansk]] and [[Donetsk]].<ref name="Zhuk">Zhuk G. P. ''Seversky Donets'' – Donbas, Acad. "Donbas", Donetsk, 1982</ref> Already by the 1930s, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk were lacking water forcing the authorities to gradually create a network of canals and reservoirs. In 1936, the Kochetok Reservoir was created and coupled to the water system of Kharkiv.<ref name="GidroHarkov"/> By the 1950s, this measure proved insufficient, and in the 1960s, Pechenizke Reservoir was constructed in place of the Kochetok Reservoir. It has with the capacity of 400 million m<sup>3</sup> and provides about 75% of water consumed by Kharkiv. To supply water to southern Donbas and Donetsk, the 130-km long Donets-Donbas channel was built around 1958 starting near Raigorodok city,<ref name=bse/> and in compensation, the Dnieper-Donbas channel was created to supply water from Dnieper River to the upstream of the Donets via the Bereka River.<ref>Kimstach, p. 381</ref> As a result of the industrial activity, the wild nature of Donets Basin transformed into an industrial settlement.<ref name="Dolina">Gorelova, LN, Dogadina T., Krivitsky IA ''Enchanted Valley. Travel Seversky Donets'', "Prapor", Kharkiv, 1990</ref><ref name="Dotsenko">Dotsenko AP ''Why does Seversky Donets become shallow and loses fish'', "Priroda" No. 4, 1958</ref> After the breakup of the USSR, most of the basin territory became part of Ukraine.

===Russo-Ukrainian War===

During the [[War in Donbas (2014–2022)|War in Donbas]], [[Luhansk Oblast]] was roughly split along the river between the [[Luhansk People's Republic]], which controlled most of the portion of the oblast south of the Donets, and the Ukrainian government, which controlled most of the territory north of the Donets.

In May 2022, Russian attempts to cross the Donets above [[Lysychansk]] were stopped in the operationally decisive [[Battle of the Siverskyi Donets]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 May 2022 |title=Ukraine repels Russia's attempt to cross Donbas river, and drives invaders away from Kharkiv |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/13/ukraine-has-repelled-russias-attempt-to-cross-donbas-river-uk-confirms |access-date=16 May 2022 |website=the Guardian }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Santora |first=Marc |date=13 May 2022 |title=Ukraine decimated Russian forces trying to cross a river in the east, Britain's defense ministry says|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/13/world/europe/ukraine-russian-forces-pontoon-bridges-river.html |access-date=16 May 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=13 May 2022 |title=Ukrainian forces prevented attempted Russian river crossing in the Donbas, Britain says |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-forces-prevented-attempted-russian-river-crossing-donbas-britain-says-2022-05-13/ |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=12 May 2022 |title=Russian army 'lose entire battalion' trying to cross Ukraine bridge |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-putin-soldiers-siverskyi-donets-b2077244.html |access-date=16 May 2022 |website=The Independent }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Keyton |first1=David |last2=Stashevskyi |first2=Oleksandr |title=Ukraine inflicts huge losses on Russians during failed river crossing, officials say |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/ukraine-inflicts-huge-losses-on-russians-during-failed-river-crossing-officials-say/ |access-date=16 May 2022 |website=www.timesofisrael.com }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Axe |first=David |title=The Russians Lost An Entire Battalion Trying To Cross A River In Eastern Ukraine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2022/05/11/the-russians-lost-nearly-an-entire-battalion-trying-to-cross-a-river-in-eastern-ukraine/ |access-date=16 May 2022 |website=Forbes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 May 2022 |title=Ukraine river ambush shows again Russian military is 'not up to scratch' |url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220513-ukraine-river-ambush-shows-once-again-that-russian-military-not-up-to-scratch |access-date=16 May 2022 |website=France 24 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=13 May 2022 |title=Bloody river battle was third in three days - Ukraine official|work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61399440 |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Russian troops suffer epic fail while attempting to cross river at Bilohorivka |url=https://euromaidanpress.com/2022/05/15/russian-troops-defeated-near-bilohorivka-in-attempted-river-crossing-over-donets-in-luhansk-oblast/|publisher=euromaidanpress.com|date=15 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 May 2022 |title=Russian War Report: Drone footage confirms failed Russian military pontoon crossing |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/russian-war-report-drone-footage-confirms-failed-russian-military-pontoon-crossing/ |access-date=16 May 2022 |website=Atlantic Council }}</ref>
[[File:Donets near shipilivka2.JPG|thumb|Donets in [[Luhansk Oblast]], near [[Shypylivka]].]]

==Environment==

Being one of the largest rivers in Ukraine, the Donets is very intensively used in farming and industry. Ukraine alone uses more than {{convert|2|km3|abbr=on}} of river waters per year, half of which is returned as polluted discharges; this consumption effectively reduces river runoff by {{convert|32|m3/s|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Vishnevskiy"/>

Donets suffered greatly even back in the 18th century, when old oaks were cut down along its banks.<ref name="Morozov">Morozov YI ''Гидрографичекій очеркъ Сѣвернаго Донца'', University of Harkov, 1874</ref> The industrial development of the 19th century reduced the groundwater levels of the basin. This resulted in shallowing of the river and slowed navigation. Until the mid-19th century, the river was rich in fish which population rapidly declined since then.<ref name="GidroHarkov"/> The water quality is graded as level IV (polluted) to V (dirty). The main pollutants are [[fertilizer]]s, [[petroleum]], [[phenol]]s, [[zinc]], [[chromium]] and [[copper]].<ref>Kimstach, pp. 192, 214, 258, 388–394</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p8Q17IQEaOoC&pg=PA182|page=182|title=Restoration of degraded rivers: challenges, issues, and experiences|author=Daniel P. Loucks|publisher=Springer|year= 1998|isbn=0-7923-4942-3}}</ref> In Kharkiv Oblast, water is contaminated by industrial and communal wastes of Belgorod, [[Izium]] and [[Shebekino]] cities, but the water is partially purified through the Pechenizke Reservoir. The density of plants and thus the contamination increase downstream in [[Donetsk Oblast|Donetsk]] and [[Luhansk Oblast|Luhansk]] areas, especially around [[Lysychansk]] and [[Sievierodonetsk]], about 400&nbsp;km from the mouth. Some tributaries of the Donets, such as Kozenyi Butt, [[Bakhmut]] and Lugan are so polluted that consuming fish caught there is dangerous.<ref name="Vishnevskiy"/>
The purest segment of Donets is between the source and Belgorod, and between the Pechenizke Reservoir and [[Chuhuiv]]. Average water [[salinity]] is 650–750&nbsp;mg/L, and it increases in winter to 1000&nbsp;mg/L mostly due to industrial wastewater.<ref name="AgroKlimat">Agroclimaticale directory of Kharkiv area, Gidrometeoizdat, Leningrad, 1957</ref>

[[File:Bettelnder Karpfen.JPG|thumb|Carp]]

==Flora and fauna==

===Fish ===
The Donets hosts 44 species of fish, predominantly small fishes such as [[European perch]], [[rutilus]] and [[common rudd]]. Medium and large species include [[bream]], [[Sander (genus)|perch]], [[Wels catfish|catfish]] and [[Esox|pike]] and are becoming increasingly rare.<ref name="GidroHarkov"/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wb9dTAgkg_UC&pg=PT532|page=352|title=Rivers of Europe|author1=Klement Tockner |author2=Urs Uehlinger |author3=Christopher T. Robinson |publisher=Academic Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0-12-369449-2}}</ref> Near Pechenizke Reservoir a large hatchery of [[Common carp|carp]] has successfully operated since 1967.<ref name="Lisetskiy">Lisiecki A. ''Fauna of the Kharkiv Oblast'' Proceedings of the Geographical Society of Kharkiv in Ukraine. Volume VIII. Kharkiv Oblast. Nature and economy, Kharkiv State University, Kharkiv, 1971</ref>

===Amphibians and reptiles===
[[File:Natrix natrix (Marek Szczepanek).jpg|thumb|Grass snake]]
On the banks of the river, in the floodplain wetlands, there are abundant [[Pelophylax|water frog]]s, [[toad]]s (especially [[European green toad|green toad]]), [[Smooth newt|smooth]] and [[great crested newt]]s<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UQWu1WTnvYMC&pg=PA33|page=33|title=Amphibian populations in the Commonwealth of Independent States: current status and declines|publisher=Pensoft Publishers|year=1995|isbn=954-642-007-7|author1=Kuzʹmin, S. L|author2=Kenneth Dodd, C|author3=Pikulik, Mikhail MikhaĭLovich}}</ref> and less common [[grass snake]], [[dice snake]] and [[European pond terrapin]].<ref name="Dolina"/>

===Mammals===
Human activities, mainly cultivation of the steppes, resulted in the disappearance of animals formerly common in the basin, such as [[tarpan]], steppe antelope, [[saiga antelope]], [[marmots]] and others.<ref name="Dolina"/> Back in the 1960s–1970s, especially near Oskil River, it was not unusual to meet [[bobak marmot]], Eurasian [[deer]], [[wild boar]] and [[Russian desman]].<ref name="Lisetskiy"/> Current mammals of the basin include [[European beaver]], [[Dipodidae]], [[Spermophilus|suslik]], mice, [[European otter]], [[European mink]], [[weasel]] and [[Microbat|bats]].

{| Class = "wikitable" style = "text-align: center"
|Width = "25%"|[[File:NHM Desmana moschata.JPG|center|220px]]
|Width = "25%"|[[File:Marmota marmota Alpes2.jpg|center|215px]]
|Width = "25%"|[[File:Otter frei.jpg|center|160px]]
|Width = "25%"|[[File:Mustela nivalis -British Wildlife Centre-4.jpg|center|200px]]
|-
|Russian desman
|Marmot
|European otter
|Least weasel
|}

===Birds===
The number of bird species of the river basin reduced sharply over the past 100–150 years. The disappeared species include [[steppe eagle]], tirkusha, [[sociable lapwing]], [[Little bustard|bustard]], black and winged [[lark]]. Less common are geese, swans, [[golden eagle]], [[white-tailed eagle]], [[peregrine falcon]], [[European honey buzzard|honey buzzard]] and [[osprey]]. The reduction is mainly caused by the destruction of forests, especially old [[Grove (nature)|grove]]s along the river banks.<ref name="Lisetskiy"/> The creation of artificial forest belts ([[windbreak]]s) in the basin in the 1960s brought insectivorous birds new to this area, such as ''[[Streptopelia]]'', [[European magpie]] and [[shrike]]s.<ref name="Lisetskiy"/> From the traditional bird types, still common are several species of ducks, crows, [[Charadriiformes]], ''[[Podiceps]]'', [[great reed warbler]] and much less common are [[heron]]s and [[stork]]s. Only 12 individuals of [[demoiselle crane]]s remain in the area, near [[Sviatohirsk]] city. During the migratory season, the region is visited by [[Greylag goose|greylag]] and [[Branta|black]] geese.<ref name="Dolina"/>

{| Class = "wikitable" style = "text-align: center"
|+
|Width = "25%"|[[File:Demoiselle crane anthropoides virgo.jpg|center|190px]]
|Width = "25%"|[[File:Acrocephalus arundinaceus adult NRM.jpg|center|175px]]
|Width = "25%"|[[File:Alauda arvensis 2.jpg|center|215px]]
|Width = "25%"|[[File:Haliaeetus albicilla LC0194.jpg|center|210px]]
|-
|Demoiselle crane
|Great reed warbler
|Skylark
|White-tailed eagle
|}

[[File:Mountain-birch-Trollheimen.jpg|thumb|Downy birch]]

===Flora===
Banks of the river used to contain [[Grove (nature)|grove]]s of trees, which were cut during the 18th–19th centuries. Some of the trees were used for shipbuilding during the Russian-Turkish wars in the time of [[Peter I of Russia|Peter I]].<ref name="Morozov"/> By the 20th century, most meadows along the river banks were converted into farmers' fields. Only a small part of the old groves remains, mainly in the Kharkiv Oblast. North of [[Izium]], there are still broadleaf forests, and [[Temperate coniferous forest|pine forests]] are found near [[Chuhuiv]]. Many species of wild plants survive near floodplain wetlands. These include [[willow]], [[Betula pubescens|downy birch]], [[Alnus glutinosa|alder]] and krushinnik. Along the river banks, there are [[Scirpus|cane]], swamp horsetail, [[carex]], kizlyak, swamp sabelnik and other types of grass.<ref name="Dolina"/>

==Tourism==
[[File:Donec near Mokhnach.jpg|thumb|Downstream of Zmiiv.]]
The Donets is regarded as one of the most scenic rivers of [[East European Plain]] and contains many hiking and biking routes along its banks. [[Canoe]] rafting is rather popular, especially between Zmiiv and [[Sviatohirsk]]. Rafting is of the first (lowest) [[degree of difficulty]]. The busiest tourism months are from May to September.<ref name="Marshruty">Gorbunova NN ''Boat Tours in Ukraine'', Physical Education and Sports, Moscow, 1969</ref> The most picturesque part is probably near the town of [[Izium]], which hosts a [[National Park of Holy Mountains]].<ref name="Dolina"/> 
Down to Lysychansk, the water is clean for swimming, and there are many sandy beaches on the shores. Near Pechenizke Reservoir, there are several health resorts.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
SeverskyDonets7.jpg|Spring flood
Severskiy donetc wmp3210010.jpg|Spring
SeverskyDonets4.jpg|Summer
SeverskyDonets6.jpg|Winter
Cеверский Донец.JPG|Seversky Donets River near the village of Yaremovka
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2dk_SC5TIl8C |title=A water quality assessment of the former Soviet Union|author1=V. A. Kimstach |author2=Michel Meybeck |author3=Ellysar Baroudy |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=1998 |isbn=0-419-23920-0}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Seversky Donets}}
* [http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CD%5CO%5CDonetsRiver.htm Donets River] at the [[Encyclopedia of Ukraine]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111103121124/http://www.sdbuvr.slav.dn.ua/RU/sevdonec.htm Site Seversk-Donets Basin Water Resources]
* {{GSEn|100668|Северский Донец (Seversky Donets)}}
* [http://otpusk-info.ru/journey/dictionary/geographic-names/fc/slovar-209-4.htm#zag-4238 Северский Донец], Dictionary of modern geographical names

===Google Maps satellite pictures ===
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=ru&geocode=&q=Белгород&sll=50.03341,36.186004&sspn=0.013094,0.015535&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&ll=50.767347,36.723003&spn=0.00283,0.007145&z=17&iwloc=addr Source area] in [[Belgorod Oblast]]. Merger of Sazhnoi Donets into Seversky Donets (flowing left down)
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=ru&geocode=&q=Белгород&sll=50.03341,36.186004&sspn=0.013094,0.015535&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&ll=50.674808,36.639576&spn=0.002835,0.007145&z=17&iwloc=addr Впадение реки Липовый Донец (слева) в Донец (течёт справа вниз)]. Белгородская область
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=ru&geocode=&q=Белгород&sll=50.03341,36.186004&sspn=0.013094,0.015535&ie=UTF8&ll=50.586588,36.605115&spn=0.012943,0.015535&t=k&z=15&om=1 Merger of river Vezelka into Donets (flowing down)] near [[Belgorod]].
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=ru&geocode=&q=Разумное&sll=50.513645,36.659188&sspn=0.005799,0.014462&ie=UTF8&ll=50.532198,36.649661&spn=0.011594,0.028925&t=k&z=15&om=1 Area near the Belgorod Reservoir]
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=ru&geocode=&q=Маслова+пристань&sll=50.527561,36.62919&sspn=0.025917,0.031071&ie=UTF8&ll=50.471054,36.675968&spn=0.025949,0.031071&t=k&z=14&om=1 Belgorod Reservoir and village Maslova Pristan]
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=ru&geocode=&q=Салтов&sll=50.471054,36.675968&sspn=0.025949,0.031071&ie=UTF8&ll=49.952987,36.955948&spn=0.209853,0.248566&t=k&z=11&om=1 Pecheneg Reservoir and a dam]
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=ru&geocode=&q=Lugansk,+Луганская+область+Украина&sll=53.636496,77.608795&sspn=0.193379,0.248566&ie=UTF8&cd=1&mpnum=0&ll=48.65684,39.430618&spn=0.053862,0.062141&t=k&z=13&om=1 Lugansk area]

{{Rivers of Russia}}
{{Rivers of Ukraine}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:International rivers of Europe]]
[[Category:Donets| ]]
[[Category:Donets basin| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of Belgorod Oblast]]
[[Category:Rivers of Donetsk Oblast]]
[[Category:Rivers of Kharkiv Oblast]]
[[Category:Rivers of Luhansk Oblast]]
[[Category:Rivers of Rostov Oblast]]
[[Category:Rivers of Ukraine]]
[[Category:Donbas]]
[[Category:Russia–Ukraine border]]