Ukraine’s 425th Regiment has liberated the village of Novoekonomichne in Donetsk Oblast and raised the national flag, the General Staff announced on Sept. 1.

Novoekonomichne, with a pre-war population of nearly 2,800 people, is located about 14 kilometers (8 miles) northwest of the embattled city of Pokrovsk.

Ukrainian assault groups spent two weeks fighting to liberate the settlement, raising the national flag in the village center on Aug. 31, according to the General Staff.

0:00/1×Footage of Ukrainian troops advancing and liberating the village of Novoekonomichne. (Ukraine’s General Staff)

Since mid-July, the village has appeared in the “gray zone” on maps published by the DeepState monitoring group, indicating ongoing fighting. As of Aug. 31, despite the General Staff’s statement, Novoekonomichne remained in the “gray zone.”

The estimated Russian advance in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, as of Aug. 31, 2025, according to DeepState map. (DeepState)

Earlier, Ukrainian forces regained control of the village of Novomykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 24.

Russia has continued to intensify its ground offensives in eastern Ukraine, concentrating the bulk of its forces in the Pokrovsk sector in an effort to seize the key logistics hub.

With no ceasefire in sight, Russia’s advances in the region help 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 a peace agreement 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.

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