Ruthenium complexes bearing ethylbis(2-pyridylethyl)amine (ebpea), which has flexible -C2H4- arms between the amine and the pyridyl groups and coordinates to a metal center in facial and meridional modes, have been synthesized and characterized. Three trichloro complexes, fac-[(RuCl3)-Cl-III-(ebpea)] (fac-[1]), mer-[(RuCl3)-Cl-III(ebpea)] (mer-[1]), and mer-[(RuCl3-)-Cl-II{eta(2)-N(C2H5)(C(2)H(4)py)=CH-CH(2)py}] (mer-[2]), were synthesized using the Ru blue solution. Formation of mer-[2] proceeded via a C-H activation of the CH2 group next to the amine nitrogen atom of the ethylene arm. Reduction reactions of fac- and mer-[1] afforded a triacetonitrile complex mer-[Ru-II((CHCN)-C-3)(3)(ebpea)(PF6)(2) (mer-[3](PF6)(2)). Five nitrosyl complexes fac-[RuX2(NO) (ebpea)]PF6 (X = Cl for fac-[4]PF6; X = ONO2 for fac-[5]PF6) and mer-[RuXY(NO)(ebpea)]PF6 (X = Cl, Y = Cl for mer-[4]PF6; X = Cl, Y = CH3O for mer-[6]PF6; X = Cl, Y = OH for mer-[7]PF6) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. A reaction of mer-[2] in H2O-C2H5OH at room temperature afforded mer-[1]. Oxidation of C2H5OH in H2O-C2H5OH and i-C3H7OH in H2O-i-C3H7OH to acetaldehyde and acetone by mer-[2] under stirring at room temperature occurred with formation of mer-[1]. Alternative C-H activation of the CH2 group occurred next to the pyridyl group, and formation of a C-N bond between the CH moiety and the nitrosyl ligand afforded a nitroso complex [Ru-II(N-3)(2){N(O)CH(py)CH2N(C2H5)C(2)H(4)py}] ([8]) in reactions of nitrosyl complexes with sodium azide in methanol, and reaction of [8] with hydrochloric acid afforded a corresponding chloronitroso complex [(RuCl2)-Cl-II{N(O)CH(py)CH2N(C2H5)C(2)H(4)py}] ([9]).