Fighting Intensifies Around Kostyantynivka as Russia Infiltrates Ukrainian Fortress Belt

Russian forces have stepped up pressure on the strategic Donbas city of Kostyantynivka, using drone strikes, missile attacks and small‑group infiltrations. Ukrainian officials say about 130 Russian soldiers are operating inside the town, while analysts estimate the number may have risen to several hundred. The city has turned into a “gray zone” where neither side fully controls it, and roughly 2,000 civilians remain cut off from services.

Kostyantynivka is a key node of Ukraine’s “fortress belt,” linking to Druzhkivka, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. Its loss could open a pathway for Russian advances deeper into the Donbas region. Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Bakulin maintains that “the situation remains under control,” but Russian media claim partial control of the city’s eastern district.

At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the United States of abandoning neutrality in the ongoing peace talks, adding a diplomatic dimension to the battlefield developments.