Live Updates on Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Ukraine Disputes Russia's Account of 'Vicious Counterattack'
In the eastern region of Ukraine, the conflict continues to rage, particularly in and around the cities of Bakhmut and the broader Donbas region. As of August 2025, Russian offensives persist, meeting with Ukrainian resistance that remains steadfast.
Bakhmut
Throughout 2022 and early 2023, Russian forces, including Wagner mercenaries, launched prolonged assaults on Bakhmut. Despite heavy casualties, they made incremental territorial gains. Ukraine held its ground, maintaining defensive positions on key flanks such as the northern outskirts of Opytne, resisting Russian attempts to encircle the city. By late 2023, Russia had captured Bakhmut, marking the largest Ukrainian city lost that year and contributing significantly to Russia’s net territorial gains. Since then, fighting around Bakhmut has slowed significantly, with a stalemate prevailing through the winter of 2023-2024.
Donbas Region (including Donetsk Oblast)
In summer 2025, Russia made its largest frontline advances since 2024 within Donetsk province, capturing over 700 square kilometers. U.S. analysts attribute this to Russia's focus on cutting Ukrainian logistics lines and aiming to seize key cities such as Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk. The fighting has been attritional, with both sides incurring heavy losses. Russian attacks continue notably around towns like Chasiv Yar, although Ukrainian troops have held defensive positions despite reports and claims of Russian advances there.
Strategic and Political Context
Russia seeks to consolidate control over the entire Donbas region, demanding Ukraine cede all of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts as part of ceasefire negotiations, along with Crimea. Moscow proposes freezing frontlines elsewhere while maintaining Donbas territorial claims. Ukraine and European allies remain cautious or resistant regarding these terms. Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed ceasefire talks as progressing but continues military pressure, notably with ongoing assaults aiming to degrade Ukrainian defense capability and sever crucial supply routes.
In the midst of this ongoing conflict, there have been some developments on the humanitarian front. On Sunday, Ukraine and Russia exchanged 100 prisoners each. However, Ukraine does not acknowledge the formal incorporation of any of the regions claimed by Russia.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine continues to have significant repercussions, with both sides suffering heavy losses. Russia recently claimed a "devastating retaliatory strike" on soldiers based in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials deny there were any casualties. Meanwhile, Ukraine claims that 760 Russian troops were eliminated or wounded in two strikes on the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, in retaliation for a previous Ukrainian attack in Makiivka where at least 89 Russian soldiers died.
Russia is also supporting a legislative modification that would categorize maps challenging Russia's official "territorial integrity" as punishable extremist products. This move further underscores the political and strategic stakes involved in the conflict. Despite the ongoing hostilities, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, asserted that Ukrainian forces are holding their positions in Bakhmut and Soledar in the eastern Donbas region, with Bakhmut resisting constant Russian attacks despite significant damage.
As the conflict in eastern Ukraine persists, both sides continue to fight for control, with political negotiations coexisting with ongoing hostilities. The battle for Bakhmut has shifted from intense urban combat to a broader regional contest focused on logistics and territorial control. Despite the stalemate, the conflict remains intense, with both sides showing no signs of backing down.
- General news outlets are reporting continuing war-and-conflicts in eastern Ukraine, specifically in Bakhmut and the Donbas region, where both sides are incurring heavy losses.
- Crime-and-justice developments include Russia proposing legislative changes to penalize maps challenging its territorial integrity, while Ukraine alleges Russian casualties in recent attacks on Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, with Moscow denying any losses.
