Russian troops have taken control of two settlements in the Donetsk region, in eastern Ukraine, according to an announcement by the Russian Ministry of Defense. Kyiv has not confirmed the claim, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of progress in the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the area near the city of Dobropillia, also in the Donetsk region.
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The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces now control the communities of Sadriholovye and Zaritsne, northeast of Sloviansk – one of the cities targeted by the invaders as they continue their westward advance. This was followed by an announcement from the Russian Defense Minister, in which Andrei Belausov congratulated the unit that captured the community of Zaritsne (formerly known as Kirovsk).
In a video released by the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Defense, soldiers can be seen advancing in Sadriholovye while holding up a Russian flag.
Moscow’s troops continue their advance in eastern and southern Ukraine, announcing the capture of communities almost daily. Moscow does not release casualty figures for its forces, but military analysts and Ukrainian officials claim they are substantial.
In a video message released Monday evening, Zelenskyy mentioned that the Ukrainian forces’ counteroffensive continues in the outskirts of Dobropillia – near the strategically important hub of Pokrovsk – claiming that control has been regained over an area of approximately 175 square kilometers.
In Europe, our challenges are shared, and we must respond together. Sanctions against Russia are important – we expect the 19th package. We also need support for our defense and for building common defense tools – we need a joint defense of Europe’s eastern flank against Russian… pic.twitter.com/D5N6iyRUuS
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 29, 2025
The Ukrainian president acknowledged that the situation is “not easy” in Kupiansk – a city that has been under heavy attacks for some time in the northeastern Kharkiv region – as well as in certain areas of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk. However, he assured that Ukrainian soldiers are “doing everything they can to defend their positions.”
