 The city is located on a hill from which many Donbass rivers originate.The river Bulavin (a tributary of the river Krynka, Mius basin) originates in the southern outskirts of the city, the river Lozova (a tributary of the river Lugan, Seversky Donets basin) in the north-east, the river Sanzharivka (a tributary of the river Lugan) in the north, the river Skelevaya (a tributary of the river Lugan) in the north-west, and the river Karapulka (a tributary of the river Lugan) in the western outskirts.Debaltseve city was founded in 1878 as a railway station due to the construction of the Catherine railway (special government railway of Russian empire built in 1882-1904).