Russia and Ukraine fight for every village in Donetsk

The conflict in Ukraine continues to rage as Moscow claims its forces have taken control of two more settlements in the east. Ukraine denies this and says it has retaken another village near the edge of Dnipropetrovsk. The conflicting developments reflect the complex picture of the conflict.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on August 23 that its troops had captured Kleban-Byk and Seredne in Donetsk. Kleban-Byk is northwest of Toretsk, while Seredne is close to the border of the Kharkiv region, indicating that Moscow has expanded its offensive.

Just a day earlier, the ministry had also announced that it had taken control of Katerynivka and Rusyn Yar, two villages near the besieged industrial city of Kostiantynivka. With the series of announcements, Russia wanted to demonstrate that it was maintaining its slow but steady advance.

However, the Ukrainian side quickly denied it. The country's General Staff affirmed that there was no evidence that the four villages had changed hands. On the contrary, they announced that they had retaken the village of Zelenyi Hai - a locality on the edge of the Dnipropetrovsk region, where Russia had declared a breakthrough.

Reuters and other Western news agencies stressed that they could not independently verify the situation. In an increasingly tense information war, both Moscow and Kiev have an incentive to portray military successes to boost domestic morale and convince allies.

Since its failed attempt to capture the capital Kiev in February 2022, Russia’s strategy has shifted eastward. The long-term goal is to control the entire Donbass region, including Donetsk and Luhansk. This is not only Ukraine’s industrial heartland but also has symbolic significance, as the Kremlin has always considered the region to be closely linked to national security interests.

According to experts, controlling small villages like Kleban-Byk or Seredne is not enough to turn the tide, but opens up new attack corridors and puts pressure on the Ukrainian defense line around Toretsk and Kostiantynivka.

Kiev, on the other hand, is trying to show that it can still resist. The HUR military intelligence agency said that Ukrainian units are conducting coordinated operations to stop the Russian advance in Donetsk and block any attempts to penetrate into Dnipropetrovsk.

Still, independent observers note that both sides are locked in a stalemate of attrition. Russia has the advantage in manpower and artillery firepower, but struggles to make a quick breakthrough. Meanwhile, Ukraine faces ammunition shortages and is increasingly dependent on Western aid.

Moscow’s constant announcement of small victories is also aimed at reassuring the public that the special military operation is progressing. Kiev, on the other hand, needs to prove to its allies that it is holding out, in order to maintain the flow of military and financial aid. Therefore, each village “recaptured” or “lost” has a greater political significance than its actual value on the map.

With August 24 also marking Ukraine’s National Day, the messages from both sides are all the more symbolic. Russia’s assertion of its new territory could be seen as a move to overshadow Kiev’s important holiday. But Ukraine’s announcement of its recapture of Zelenyi Hai is an attempt to assert its independence and sovereignty.

Overall, what is happening in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk reflects the long-standing, complex and contradictory nature of the conflict. Villages continue to change hands, but neither side has reached a decisive turning point. The conflict remains stalemate, and the world can only wait and see which way the balance will tilt in the coming months.

Reuters

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https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russian-forces-take-control-2-settlements-eastern-ukraine-defence-ministry-says-2025-08-23/

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