RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT "RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY" HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO — EDITORIAL USE ONLY —

SHOTLIST:

DNIPROPETROSK, UKRAINE (RELEASED ON AUGUST 20, 2025) (RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY - RESTRICTED)

1. DRONE SHOT OF RUSSIAN SOLDIERS HOLDING FLAG

2. VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF RUSSIAN ARMY HITTING MILITARY TARGETS IN DNIPROPETROSK AND EXPLOSION CAUSING SMOKE
DNIPROPETROSK, UKRAINE - RELEASED ON AUGUST 20 - RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT "RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY" HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO - EDITORIAL USE ONLY: Russia claimed on Wednesday it took control of three settlements in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as conflict continues despite efforts for a ceasefire and permanent settlement led by US President Donald Trump.

A statement by the Defense Ministry said its forces captured the villages of Pankivka and Sukhetske, about 20 and 11 kilometers (12.4 and 6.8 miles) northeast of the city of Pokrovsk.

Russia has repeatedly claimed territorial gains in recent months, particularly in Donetsk, where fighting has intensified around Pokrovsk, a key front in the ongoing Ukraine war.

The city serves as a critical logistics hub for Kyiv’s military operations in the region.

The statement also claimed that its troops took control of the village of Novoheorhiivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The village is about 21 kilometers (13 miles) west of the strategic town of Velyka Novosilka.

In January, Russia claimed to have seized Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk. The town lies near the junction of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment on Russia’s claims, and independent verification is difficult due to the ongoing war, which is nearing three-and-a-half years.