Note: All transport described here reflects the pre-2014 situation.
Tram and trolleybus. The backbone of public transport in Donetsk was an extensive tram and trolleybus network inherited from the Soviet era. Cheap, frequent, and covering most of the city, it was how most residents got around. The central stops were around the main railway station and on Artyoma Street.
Marshrutka. Fixed-route minibuses (marshrutky) supplemented the tram network and reached areas not covered by trams or trolleybuses. Faster but more crowded, they were the standard way to reach the outer districts.
Metro. A metro system was under construction before 2014. One short line with a handful of stations had opened; expansion was planned but work stalled. As urban infrastructure it was largely aspirational.
Taxis. Metered taxis were available but the standard approach was to flag down passing private cars — the informal car-hailing system widespread across post-Soviet cities. Fix a price before getting in. Official taxis were reliable but costlier.
On foot. The city centre — from the main railway station to Teatralna Square — was walkable in about 20 minutes along Artyoma Street, the main boulevard.