Civilian population on Ukraine-controlled Donetsk Oblast has fallen by roughly two-thirds in just over a year
As of September 1, 2026, approximately 93,600 civilians remain on the government-controlled territory of Donetsk Oblast, including about 4,800 children, after roughly 48,700 residents left during the summer months of June through August. The figure represents a decline of nearly two-thirds compared with June 30, 2025, when 269,100 people were recorded on the same territory.
Key points
- Approximately 93,600 civilians remain on government-controlled territory of Donetsk Oblast as of September 1, 2026
- About 4,800 of those remaining are children, concentrated in just two communities near the line of contact
- Kramatorsk community has around 1,500 children; Sloviansk community has around 2,070
- Roughly 48,700 residents left the government-controlled part of the oblast during June–August 2026, including about 3,700 children
- The population fell from 269,100 on June 30, 2025 to about 93,600 on September 1, 2026 — a decline of roughly 65% in 14 months
- Occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast grew from 66.7% to 73.43% over the same period, before accounting for territory liberated in Operation Vivaldi
- Commander of the 3rd Army Corps and the 'Center' grouping Andriy Biletsky said Ukrainian forces have de-occupied 176 square kilometres in the region since offensive actions began
Why it matters
The data illustrate the sheer scale of civilian displacement in Donetsk Oblast: the population on the government-controlled side has fallen by about 65% in just over a year, with nearly 50,000 people — including roughly 3,700 children — leaving in a single three-month summer window. Children now remain in only two frontline communities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, showing how the front line is compressing the remaining civilian population. The territorial picture has worsened in parallel, with occupied territory expanding from 66.7% to 73.43% over the same period, even before accounting for recent gains by Ukrainian forces.
What happened
As of September 1, 2026, approximately 93,600 civilians remained on the government-controlled territory of Donetsk Oblast, of whom about 4,800 were children. Children were present in only two communities near the line of combat contact: Kramatorsk, with roughly 1,500 children, and Sloviansk, with about 2,070. During the three summer months of 2026 (June through August), approximately 48,700 residents were evacuated or left independently from the government-controlled territory, including about 3,700 children. By comparison, the population of the government-controlled part of Donetsk Oblast had stood at 269,100 as of June 30, 2025, meaning the civilian population fell by nearly two-thirds — about 65% — over the intervening 14 months. Over the same period, the estimated share of Donetsk Oblast under temporary occupation rose from 66.7% to 73.43%; this figure does not yet incorporate land recaptured during Operation Vivaldi. Andriy Biletsky, commander of the 3rd Army Corps and the 'Center' grouping, said Ukrainian defence forces had de-occupied a total of 176 square kilometres in the region since the start of offensive actions.
Background
The figures compare a population of 269,100 on the government-controlled part of Donetsk Oblast as of June 30, 2025 with about 93,600 as of September 1, 2026. The 73.43% occupied-territory figure predates the territory recaptured by Ukrainian forces in Operation Vivaldi, which Andriy Biletsky, commander of the 3rd Army Corps and the 'Center' grouping, put at 176 square kilometres since offensive actions began.