The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on August 23, 2025, that Russian forces have captured two settlements, Kleban-Byk and Sredne, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. This development was reported by multiple international media outlets and confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry. Subsequently, Ukrainian forces claimed to have retaken three villages in the same Donetsk region, indicating ongoing and intense fighting between the two sides. On August 24 and 25, Russia further claimed control over additional settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk region, including Zaporizke and Novoheorhiivka. These villages mark the first Russian advances into this central-eastern administrative region of Ukraine. For the first time, Ukraine officially acknowledged that Russian troops had entered the Dnipropetrovsk region, with battles continuing in the two villages captured by Russian forces. Ukrainian military sources stated they had halted further Russian advances and maintained control over key cities in the area. The conflict remains active amid stalled peace negotiations, with both sides contesting control over strategic locations in eastern Ukraine.