The town was the site of sporadic fighting during the 2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine. In April 2014 Russian separatist forces occupied the city of Sloviansk 30 miles south of Izium. An operation by Ukrainian forces to remove these forces bogged down and checkpoints around the Izium were formed to stop possible intrusion into the city. On June 15 a Ukrainian checkpoint outside the city was attacked by Russian forces. On 19 June 2014 Ukrainian forces defeated a large group of Russian separatists at Yampil, approximately 40 miles southwest of Izium, signaling the furthest north the Russian forces would advance. As part of the Siege of Sloviansk and Battle of Kramatorsk both cities were recaptured by Ukrainian forces. Due to its proximity to the front line the city, along with the Kramatorsk Airfield which the Ukrainian military was able to control through the battles, served as a staging area for Ukrainian troops prior to Sloviansk and Kramatorsk being recaptured.