The Russian armed forces announced that they had taken complete control over the strategic city of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk region. The information was initially reported by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, and later confirmed personally by President Vladimir Putin during a visit to a forward command post of the united group of troops.
The report of the military command
The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, General Valery Gerasimov, reported to the head of state that the units of the Southern Group had completed the clearing of the city. According to the Russian military command, Konstantinovka was captured through the tactics of penetrating small assault groups into the rear of the Ukrainian positions, which led to the fragmentation of the defense. Putin told the commanders that the operation was of key importance for the further offensive in Donbas. In parallel, he noted that plans to create “security zones“ in the border Kharkiv and Sumy regions were developing according to plan.
The situation on the front and the importance of the city
Before the start of the full-scale war, Konstantinovka had a population of nearly 70,000 people and represented the southern pillar of the last major Ukrainian defensive line in the Donetsk region (along with Sloviansk and Kramatorsk). The fighting for the city had been going on for months, with Russian forces gradually tightening their grip on logistical routes by destroying dam walls and constantly shelling with guided bombs and artillery.
As of 3:30 a.m. Bulgarian time, the General Staff of Ukraine has not yet officially commented on Moscow's claims of the complete loss of the city. According to independent military analysts, although Russia controls the main administrative buildings, isolated rearguard clashes are probably still taking place in the extreme western parts of the settlement and the surrounding forests. However, the fall of Konstantinovka opens a direct path for the Russian army to the approaches to Kramatorsk.