2014, The Story of the Decade.

The capture of Sloviansk by pro-Russian terrorists took place around 9 a.m. on April 12, 2014. Russian militants, joined by terrorists of the self-proclaimed "DPR" and criminal elements, seized the city.

During the night of April 12-13, 2014, the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) decided to conduct an Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) to normalize the situation in eastern Ukraine. In the first battle for Sloviansk on April 13, SBU Captain Hennadiy Bilichenko was killed, and Colonel Hennadiy Kuznetsov, Colonel Kuksa, and MIA officer Selikhov were seriously wounded. When the first special operation failed, the NSDC announced a large-scale ATO involving the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In early July, Ukrainian forces began to actively advance on terrorist positions and pushed the militants out of the city. Russian federation militants and separatists, along with a column of armored vehicles, broke through to the neighboring Kramatorsk, from where they later fled to Horlivka and Donetsk. During the breakthrough towards Kramatorsk, one tank, two BMPs, and two BMDs of the terrorists covering the retreat were hit.

On July 5, 2014, Ukrainian forces liberated Sloviansk and Kramatorsk from Russian terrorists. The Ukrainian flag was raised over the cities.