Novoaidar
Новоайдар | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
  Novoaidar Location in Luhansk Oblast  Novoaidar Location in Ukraine | |
| Coordinates: 48°58′18″N 39°00′21″E / 48.97167°N 39.00583°E | |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Oblast |  Luhansk Oblast |
| Raion | Shchastia Raion |
| Population (2022)[1] | |
| • Total | 7,773 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Novoaidar (Ukrainian and Russian: Новоайдар) is an urban-type settlement and the de facto administrative center of Shchastia Raion in Luhansk Oblast, in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, located east of Sievierodonetsk. It has an estimated population of 7,773 (2022 estimate).[1]
Until July 2020, Novoaidar served as Ukraine's center of Novoaidar Raion of Ukraine.[2] As part of the 2020 reform of the administrative divisions of Ukraine, the number of raions (districts) in Luhansk Oblasts was reduced to six and Shchastia Raion was created.[3][4] Shchastia was the official administrative center of the new raion, but its status is only de jure because the city was too close to territory held by the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR / LNR). Novoaidar remained an administrative center, serving as the de facto administrative center of Shchastia Raion of Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine.
From 2014 in the war in Donbas the settlement remained under Ukrainian government control (unlike many other places in the Luhansk Oblast).[5][6] However, just over a week after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine began, it was taken by Russian forces, on March 3.[7][8]
Following the 2022 annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine, Russia has claimed the settlement as their territory, and it remains under Russian control.
