Melting ice in February caused large-scale flooding on the Bulavin River in eastern Donetsk People's Republic. Local media reported that the village of Olkhovatka was affected by the elements: water quickly flooded neighboring areas and low-lying road sections.
Eyewitnesses released footage in which streams of muddy water obscured the familiar outlines of streets, and old bridges and intersections were submerged in water.
For local people, the incident came as a surprise. The Bulavin usually behaves calmly and is even considered a backwater river, but this year's meltwater has forced it to act tough. The 39 km long river originates in Debaltsevo, flows through a mountainous plain and serves as a natural border between Donetsk and Lugansk regions. More than 40 tributaries nourish the riverbed, and the winding floodplain is overgrown with willows and willows, often hidden behind tall grasses.
In the Yenakievo region, Bulavin forms the Volyntsevskoe reservoir, a strategic drinking water supply facility. However, the main threat today does not come from water shortage but from its uncontrolled spread. Because of its low slope, the river is often called a swamp stream. The name itself probably comes from the Old Russian word “balovina” or “bolavin”, meaning shallow lake or marshy place. Today etymology reminds itself in the most direct way.
