This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by the head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, Vadym Filashkin.
"The total area of the Donetsk oblast is 26.5 thousand sq. km, temporarily occupied since 2014 – 8.5 thousand sq. km (32%). As of July 24, 2025, the temporarily occupied area of Donetsk oblast totals 17,804 sq. km (67.2%). That is, 32.8% of the oblast's territory is under Ukrainian control", - said the OMA head.
He noted that out of 1,298 populated areas in the Donetsk oblast, 847 are under temporary occupation, 447 of them since 2014. To date, 42 populated areas have been de-occupied.
According to Filashkin, russian occupiers strike the territory of the oblast daily with about 3,000 attacks using all types of available weaponry.
"The most dangerous are those communities where the distance to the frontline is less than 10 kilometers. However, the occupiers also shell relatively rear cities. Therefore, being anywhere in the Donetsk oblast right now is actually dangerous. In the zone of active hostilities, there are 18 communities, home to about 23,000 people, including more than 110 children", - added the head of the RMA, urging the region's population to evacuate.