Kostiantynivka in Donetsk region remains under the control of the Ukrainian defense forces, analysts from DeepState said. According to them, the situation in the city is extremely difficult, active fighting is ongoing, and Russian forces are attempting to infiltrate, build up their forces and capture it.
“The situation in the city is extremely complicated because active fighting is taking place over it,” DeepState said. According to the analysts, Ukrainian servicemen are repelling Russian attacks and making efforts to hold the settlement.
Russian forces are also attempting to bypass Kostiantynivka in order to encircle the Ukrainian grouping in the city. On the DeepState map, Russian units are marked in parts of the eastern and southwestern outskirts. A significant area is marked as a grey zone, while another part remains under the control of the Ukrainian defense forces.
Discrepancy Between Russia’s Claim and the DeepState Map
On November 12, Vladimir Putin said that Russia had full control of Kostiantynivka and was ready to ensure the safety of a humanitarian mission in the city. The Russian president also said that up to 500 civilians remained there and that the Russian side would need up to five days to clear the area of mines.
Putin proposed that the operation be organized along the lines of the mission in Oleshky. The initiative was presented against the backdrop of the ongoing fighting for Kostiantynivka, with the Russian version of events regarding control of the city differing from DeepState’s assessment and the map it published.
Kyiv Sees Military Risk in the Proposal
Ukrainian President’s communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn suggested that Moscow could use the humanitarian mission for military purposes. He recalled that during the operation in Oleshky, Russian forces brought in equipment and carried out a rotation of servicemen under the cover of humanitarian activity.
DeepState said that the best humanitarian mission for Kostiantynivka would be to stop the Russian assault operations and the shelling that is destroying the city. The analysts described the remaining options as an attempt to use the situation in the interests of Russian forces and said that such a proposal should not be accepted.
Sources: unian.net