Dnistrovskyi Raion

Dnistrovskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Дністровський район) is a raion (district) of Chernivtsi Oblast, Ukraine. It was created on 18 July 2020 as part of the reform of administrative divisions of Ukraine. It is part of the historical region of Bessarabia. The center of the raion is the rural settlement of Kelmentsi. Three abolished raions, Kelmentsi, Khotyn, and Sokyriany Raions, part of abolished Novoselytsia Raion, as well as the city of Novodnistrovsk, which was previously incorporated as a city of oblast significance, were merged into Dnistrovskyi Raion. The name of the raion is derived from the Dniester river. Population: 152,208 (2022 estimate).

On 12 June 2020, as part of a draft proposal for the administrative reform, the Cabinet of Ministers suggested expanding Khotyn Raion with its administrative center in Khotyn. However, on 1 July, a committee of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) instead proposed relocating the center to Kelmentsi due to its central location, selecting a neutral raion name derived from the Dniester to reduce social tension. This proposal sparked opposition among Khotyn residents, who blocked the road to Ataky for over two weeks in protest, injuring one police officer. On 17 July, about 200 residents of Khotyn held a public discussion aimed at preserving the city's administrative status. The following day, the Verkhovna Rada passed the reform bill, confirming Kelmentsi as the administrative center.