The Donets, also known as the Seversky Donets or Siverskyi Donets, is a river located on the southern portion of the East European Plain. It originates in the Central Russian Upland, north of Belgorod, and flows southeast through Ukraine before returning to Russia. The river eventually joins the Don approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Sea of Azov.
As the fourth-longest river in Ukraine, the Donets is the largest river in the eastern part of the country. It serves as a vital source of fresh water for the region. Additionally, the river provides its name to the Donets Basin, commonly referred to as the Donbas, which is a significant industrial and coal-mining area in Ukraine.