The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has announced that control has been established over the strategically important city of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk region.
According to a report by Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov to President Vladimir Putin, the capture of the city is assessed as an important stage in military operations in the Donbas direction. Putin, at the command post, called the event a strategic achievement and emphasized the need to expand security zones due to increasing attacks by Ukraine on Russian infrastructure, particularly oil facilities.
Although Moscow has stated that Konstantinovka has been "liberated," the Ukrainian government has not yet officially commented on this information. Russian military officials assess the city as one of the main defensive lines in the Slavyansk–Kramatorsk–Konstantinovka direction.
At the same time, Russian troops are reportedly moving in the direction of the city of Lyman, increasing pressure on the southern and northern fronts. Official Moscow also notes the need to expand security zones in certain areas due to attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian oil infrastructure.
The Ukrainian leadership, for its part, has stated that the pace of the Russian advance has slowed, and in some areas, positions have been recaptured as a result of counterattacks.
