On August the 19th 2023, Roscosmos reported that an orbital maneuver had started to lower the spacecraft to a pre-landing orbit but suffered an "emergency situation on board".

Through unofficial Roscosmos Telegram channels Zakryty Kosmos reported that the spacecraft had broken communications with ground control during the pre-landing orbit maneuver but Roscosmos was attempting to contact the spacecraft.

Shortly after Yura Prosti claimed through another Telegram channel that an error had led to the engine burn being 1.5 times longer than expected. This resulted in the spacecraft lowering its orbit into the Lunar surface and crashing.

In a statement on its official Telegram channel, Roscosmos said the following;

In English.

"On August 19, in accordance with the flight program of the Luna-25 spacecraft, it was planned to issue an impulse to form its pre-landing elliptical orbit. At about 14:57 Moscow time, communication with the Luna-25 spacecraft was interrupted. The measures implemented on August 19 and 20 to search for the device and enter into communication with it did not yield results. According to the results of the preliminary analysis, due to the deviation of the actual impulse parameters from the calculated ones, the device switched to an uncalculated orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon. The issues of clarifying the reasons for the loss of the "Moon" will be dealt with by a specially formed interdepartmental commission."

In Russian.

"19 августа в соответствии с программой полёта КА «Луна-25» была предусмотрена выдача импульса для формирования его предпосадочной эллиптической орбиты. Около 14:57 мск связь с КА «Луна-25» прервалась. Реализованные 19 и 20 августа мероприятия по поиску аппарата и вхождению с ним в связь результатов не дали. По результатам предварительного анализа, в связи с отклонением фактических параметров импульса от расчетных, аппарат перешел на нерасчетную орбиту и прекратил свое существование в результате столкновения с поверхностью Луны. Вопросами выяснения причин потери «Луны» займется специально формируемая межведомственная комиссия."

Roscosmos is reportedly forming an inter-agency commission to investigate the cause of the failure and loss of the spacecraft.