 On 25 July 2014 Kyiv Post reported that heavy fighting for the town was imminent since the separatists had been chased by the Ukrainian army from nearby towns and intended to make Pervomaisk their "last stand with the military".Fighting for the control of the town between the separatists and the Ukrainian army indeed broke out on 28 July 2014.On 12 August 2014, Ukrainian forces reportedly secured the city from the pro-Russian separatists.