[3] At the outbreak of the war in Donbas in mid-April 2014, pro-Russian forces captured several towns in Luhansk Oblast,[4][5] including Rubizhne.

Some of the most intense strikes occurred late in March 2022, which destroyed dozens of buildings and caused civilian casualties.

[12][13] On 12 May, it was reported that Ukrainian forces had fully retreated from the settlement to take up new defensive positions near Sievierodonetsk and had destroyed a bridge in order to slow the Russian advance.

The ethnic composition according to the Ukrainian Census of 2001:[16][17][18] Prior to the 2022 war, Rubizhne was known for its chemical and pharmaceutical plants and factories.

The headquarters of "Microkhim", the largest Ukrainian producer of substances and medicines for cardiology,[19] was situated in Rubizhne.