Russian Forces Capture 2 More Donetsk Villages, Moscow Says

Meanwhile, both sides claimed gains near Donetsk’s flashpoint town of Dobropillia

Ukrainian soldiers fire a mortar at Russian positions near Kostyantynivka in Donetsk on Aug. 26, 2025. Iryna Rybakova/Ukraine's 93rd Mechanized Brigade via AP

Russian forces have captured Shandryholove and Zarichne (Kirovsk in Russian), two villages in the eastern Donetsk region, according to Moscow’s defense ministry.

“As a result of resolute actions, the Zapad [western] Group’s units liberated Shandryholove and Kirovsk,” the ministry said on its Telegram channel on Sept. 29.