33, Article 235 of the Verkhovna Rada placed the village in the administration of the Ocheretyne settlement hromada, also incorporating it into the significantly expanded Pokrovsk Raion.

[4] During the War in Donbas beginning in April 2014, the village was subject to multiple ground and aerial attacks by Russian forces due to its relative proximity to the frontline city of Avdiivka.

The "unusually rapid advance" of Russian forces in the villages leading up to Semenivka was cited by The New York Times as a result of poor local Ukrainian defense lines outside of the city,[6] with natural barriers like hills and a water reservoir beside the village serving as the primary defensive line.

[7][8][9] Alongside Semenivka, the villages of Berdychi, Orlivka, and Tonenke were cited by the Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi as objectives in the Russian forces advance from the city.

[8][9] On 28 March and 1 April, continued concerns about the lack of proper defensive lines, personnel, ammunition, and equipment to continue to defend Semenivka and other nearby villages was brought up by deputy commander of the 3rd Assault Brigade Maksym Zhorin and Ukrainian soldiers reporting to CNN, respectively.