Ukraine liberates 3 villages in Donetsk Oblast, military reports on Independence Day

Ukrainian troops have liberated three front-line villages in Donetsk Oblast from occupying Russian forces, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced on Aug. 24, Ukraine's Independence Day.

Syrskyi's report followed a working visit to combat zones in eastern Ukraine, where Russia has steadily gained ground in recent months, particularly near the embattled logistics hub of Pokrovsk.

Ukrainian forces "successfully counterattacked and cleared" the villages of Zelenyi Hai, Mykhailivka, and Volodymyrivka, Syrskyi said in a social media post published by Ukraine's General Staff.

"(D)efending Ukrainian independence and the Ukrainian flag is not just empty words, but a daily risk and a daily feat," Syrskyi said.

Zelenyi Hai in Volnovakha district is located approximately 90 to 100 kilometers (about 56 to 62 miles) southwest of the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk. The military first reported the regaining control of the village on Aug. 23.

The three liberated villages are all located south of Pokrovsk.

A map showing Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast as of 2025. (The Kyiv Independent)

Syrskyi acknowledged in his report that Pokrovsk remains the "most difficult" area of the front and said Ukrainian troops "must hold the line" as Russia continues to concentrate the bulk of its forces in that region.

Russian troops are trying to close in on the Ukrainian pocket around Pokrovsk, an area of approximately 16 kilometers wide (around 10 miles), according to the Ukrainian open-source battlefield monitoring group DeepState.

With no ceasefire in sight, Russia's advances in eastern Ukraine continue to strengthen Moscow's hand in possible peace negotiations as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for a deal to end the war.

The Kremlin's plan for peace reportedly involves Ukraine withdrawing all its forces from Donetsk Oblast, ceding the entire region to Russia in exchange for frozen battle lines on the other sectors of the front.