Russian forces have taken control of Kirovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Defense Ministry announced.

According to the statement, on September 29, 2025, units of the «Zapad» grouping advanced on the Krasny Liman axis and liberated the settlement.

Kirovsk is a small settlement in the Kramatorsk district, with a pre-conflict population of about 2,400. It lies across the Zherebets River from the village of Torskoe, which Russian troops secured in May, and less than ten kilometers east of Krasny Liman. At the same time, Russian units are pushing toward Krasny Liman from the north, advancing through Derilovo and Shandrigolovo. Once Krasny Liman is fully under control, the city could serve as a staging ground for an offensive toward Slavyansk from the northeast.

Earlier, the Defense Ministry reported that forces of the «Zapad» grouping had also taken Shandrigolovo in the Donetsk People’s Republic.