Ukraine denies Russian claim of capturing eastern city Kostiantynivka
Ukraine firmly denies Russian claims that its forces have captured the strategically vital eastern city of Kostiantynivka, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed Moscow’s announcement as a deliberate falsehood designed to manipulate global opinion.
Speaking on X on Saturday, Zelenskiy rejected the Kremlin’s assertion that Russian troops now control the city, calling it “just another Russian lie, an attempt to generate some kind of a news story.” He added, “If Kostiantynivka were under Russian control, then perhaps Putin would have no problem meeting me there to find a diplomatic way to finally end this war.”
The Ukrainian General Staff echoed the president’s statement, insisting that Kostiantynivka remains under Ukrainian control. In a formal communiqué, it said that “military units and subunits of the 19th Army Corps of the Eastern Grouping continue to conduct defensive operations on designated lines within the town and on its approaches.”
Russia’s Ministry of Defence had informed President Vladimir Putin on Friday evening that its forces had taken the city, a long-standing objective in Moscow’s push through the Donetsk region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin had received the news “with satisfaction” and congratulated the troops involved.
Ukrainian military analysts, however, have repeatedly cautioned that Russian claims about Kostiantynivka have often proved exaggerated. Independent assessments by the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have shown that earlier assertions of Russian advances in the city were not supported by geolocated footage.
Kostiantynivka sits on the southern edge of a four-town defensive belt that Ukraine has fortified to protect the industrial heartland of the Donetsk region. Military observers say that if Russian forces were to seize the city, they would gain a critical foothold from which to drive northward along the belt, the current main axis of their offensive.
The city’s population has plummeted from nearly 70,000 before the war to roughly 2,000 today, reflecting the devastation wrought by months of relentless fighting. Ukrainian officials acknowledge that the situation in and around Kostiantynivka is “difficult,” but insist that their forces continue to hold key positions.
In a separate development, Ukraine launched overnight drone strikes against Russian oil infrastructure near Saint Petersburg. Authorities in the port city of Vysotsk reported that parts of Ukrainian drones crashed at an oil terminal, while social-media footage suggested that the main oil port in Saint Petersburg itself may also have been struck. Russia’s defence ministry confirmed intercepting 389 Ukrainian combat drones nationwide, but did not acknowledge any strikes on the city centre.
As the war grinds into its fourth year, both sides continue to trade claims and counter-claims, making independent verification of front-line developments extremely difficult. The latest Russian assertion about Kostiantynivka follows a pattern of Moscow announcing tactical gains that are later contradicted by open-source evidence and official Ukrainian statements.
Follow us for live European news
- 3
- 3
- 2
- 2
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
6 further sources not geolocated
Articles
Misiune secretă de sabotaj în apropierea Moscovei: dezvăluirile unui comandant al Legiunii Libertatea Rusiei. „Nu se bazează pe eroism Misiunile de sabotaj desfășurate în Rusia cu sprijinul Ucrainei nu seamănă cu filmele de acțiune și necesită ca agenții să-și păstreze calmul în situații de presiune, a declarat pentru Business Insider un comandant militar implicat direct în aceste atacuri. Legiunea Libertatea Rusiei, o unitate paramilitară cu sediul în Ucraina, a dezvăluit recent o misiune secretă în urma căreia, potrivit propriilor declarații, a distrus șase stații de distribuție a gazelor în apropierea Moscovei, provocând pagube de peste 6 milioane de dolari.
digi24 · about 2 hours ago
Rusia susține că a ocupat un oraş important din regiunea Donețk. Reacția Ucrainei Preşedintele rus Vladimir Putin a sărbătorit ocuparea oraşului Kostiantinivka din regiunea Doneţk din estul Ucrainei, a declarat vineri seara purtătorul de cuvânt al Kremlinului, Dmitri Peskov, citat de dpa și Agerpres. Ucraina dezminte însă anunțul Moscovei, pe care îl cataloghează „fals.
digi24 · about 2 hours ago
Rusia anunță cucerirea unui bastion-cheie din Donbas. Ucraina dezminte informația Rusia susține că a preluat controlul asupra orașului Kostiantinivka, unul dintre punctele-cheie ale frontului din estul Ucrainei. Kremlinul afirmă că Vladimir Putin a primit vestea cu satisfacție și a felicitat trupele implicate în ofensivă.
adevarul · about 2 hours ago
#UPDATE💬President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Putins claim that the Donetsk Oblast city of Kostiantynivka was under Russian control, describing it as a lie for media attention."If Kostiantynivka were currently under Russian control, then surely Putin would have no problem meeting me there and finding diplomatic solutions to finally end the war," he quipped 😁
mastodon bot · about 2 hours ago
Putins claims about occupation of Kostiantynivka are false – Ukraines General Staff The information provided by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin about the alleged occupation of the settlement of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast by Russian troops is not true, Ukraines General Staff has stated.
ukrpravda · about 2 hours ago
Putin: Conquistata Kostyantynivka. Ma Kiev nega Gli ucraini: continuiamo a resistere. Ma la città-fortezza del Donetsk è in una situazione disperata. E i russi vanno allassalto pure a Sumy e Lyman
corriere · about 2 hours ago
Kiew dementiert Eroberung von Kostjantyniwka
orf.at · about 2 hours ago
Krieg in der Ukraine: Russland meldet Einnahme von Kostjantyniwka, Ukraine dementiert Die Stadt befinde sich weiter unter der Kontrolle der ukrainischen Streitkräfte, erklärt ein Vertreter des Generalstabs der Ukraine.
sueddeutsche · about 2 hours ago
Ukraine refuses to confirm the loss of Kostiantynivka
news.yahoo.com · about 2 hours ago
📰 Ukraine Denies Russian Capture of Key Eastern City Kostiantynivka🔗 #RussianInvasion #RussianWar #Ukraine
mastodon bot · about 2 hours ago
NABU refutes reports of possible investigation into PHU Lechmar – media #UkraineNABU refutes reports of possib...
mastodon bot · about 2 hours ago
EN DIRECT, guerre en Ukraine : létat-major ukrainien dément la prise complète de la ville stratégique de Kostyantynivka revendiquée par la Russie Le major Andrii Kovalov, porte-parole de létat-major des forces armées ukrainiennes, affirme que la localité, où se déroule depuis des mois lune des batailles les plus féroces à léchelle du pays, reste sous leur contrôle.
le monde · about 2 hours ago
Angebliche Geheimdienst-Warnungen vor russischem Angriff auf Polen: Premier Tusk spricht von "kritischen Monaten" Mehrere Medienberichte über konkrete russische Pläne bestätigt die polnische Regierung zwar nicht. Man sei aber "über Bedrohungen informiert"
der standard · about 2 hours ago
📰 Ukraines General Staff denies Putins statement about alleged occupation of Kostiantynivka🔗 #RussianInvasion #RussianWar #Ukraine
mastodon bot · about 2 hours ago
🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡️ — Peskov stated that Gerasimov reported to the president about the liberation of Konstantinovka. This is how it looks on the maps of domestic cartographers. @Intelslava
telegram_Intel Slava · about 3 hours ago
Geschichte einer Stadt: Kant, Klopse, Krieg: 80 Jahre Kaliningrad statt Königsberg Nirgendwo sind russische und deutsche Geschichte so eng verwoben wie in Kaliningrad, dem alten Königsberg. Statt der angedachten Brücke zwischen Ost und West ist die Stadt nun wieder ein Vorposten.
tagesspiegel · about 3 hours ago
🔴 BREAKINGRussia claims capture of KostiantynivkaRussia claims to have captured the strategic Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka. This development marks a significant shift in the ongoing conflict, highlighting Russian military advances in key territories within Ukraine.📰 #Military #Geopolitics #GeoWire
mastodon bot · about 3 hours ago
📰 Ukraine denies Putins Kostiantynivka claims🔗 #RussianInvasion #RussianWar #Ukraine
mastodon bot · about 3 hours ago
Zelensky says if Kostiantynivka is really under Russian control, Putin shouldnt mind meeting him there. Putin lied to the world and the US president right before Americas Independence Day, claiming his troops took the city, but reality looks nothing like his story, Zelensky says.
telegram_WarTranslated · about 3 hours ago
Russland meldet Einnahme von Kostjantyniwka – Ukraine dementiert Während Russlands Generalstabschef Waleri Gerassimow die Eroberung meldet, spricht der ukrainische Generalstab von einer „weiteren Falschmeldung.
die presse · about 3 hours ago
Zelenskyy to Merz: Russian capture of Kostiantynivka in Donbas - just another russian lie #UkraineZelenskyy to Merz: Russian cap...
mastodon bot · about 3 hours ago
Moscova anunță cucerirea unei poziții esențiale în Donbas, Kievul neagă. De ce Konstiantinivka este o miză majoră pe linia frontului Preşedintele rus Vladimir Putin a sărbătorit ocuparea oraşului Kostiantinivka din regiunea Doneţk din estul Ucrainei, a declarat vineri seara purtătorul de cuvânt al Kremlinului, Dmitri Peskov, citat de DPA.. Potrivit lui Peskov, Putin a afirmat că trupele ruseşti le-au provocat pierderi mari apărătorilor ucraineni. Statul-major al Ucrainei a dezminţit sâmbătă informaţia, relatează Reuters. Un oficial …
hotnews.ro · about 3 hours ago
LUkraine dément la prise de la ville-clé de Kostyantynivka par la Russie est "fausse" Lannonce par la Russie de la prise de la ville-clé de Kostyantynivka, dans lest de lUkraine, est "fausse", a indiqué samedi larmée ukrainienne à lAFP, reconnaissant une "situation difficile" mais assurant que les soldats ukrainiens défendaient la ville et que les combats se poursuivaient. ...
la libre · about 3 hours ago
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow claims capture of key Ukrainian city as Putin vows more strikes Kyiv denies Kostiantynivka has fallen
independent · about 3 hours ago
ONLINE: Ukrajina a Rusko se přou ohledně dobytí Kosťantynivky. Kyjev obsazení města popírá Ukrajinský generální štáb popřel, že by ruské jednotky dobyly Kosťantynivku na východě Ukrajiny, informovala v sobotu agentura Reuters. Moskva v noci na sobotu uvedla, že získala toto strategicky položené město na silnici vedoucí k posledním velkým městům Donbasu, která jsou stále pod ukrajinskou kontrolou.
irozhlas.cz · about 3 hours ago
Ukraine: Moscou revendique la prise de la ville-clé de Kostyantynivka, Kiev dément Le Kremlin a revendiqué la prise par larmée russe de la ville-clé de Kostyantynivka dans lest de lUkraine, position stratégique située sur la route menant vers les dernières grandes villes du Donbass encore sous contrôle ukrainien. Une annonce démentie ce samedi par Kiev. Moscou dit aussi avoir abattu des dizaines de drones ukrainiens au-dessus de Saint-Pétersbourg, dont un a touché un terminal pétrolier.
rfi.fr · about 3 hours ago
Russia claims it captured the strategic key Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivk Russia claims it captured the strategic key Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka
aljazeera · about 3 hours ago
Ruska vojska trdi, da je prevzela nadzor nad Kostjantinivko, Ukrajina informacije označuje za lažne Ruska vojska je v petek ruskemu predsedniku Vladimirju Putinu sporočila, da je prevzela nadzor nad Kostjantinivko na vzhodu Ukrajine, za kar si je Moskva prizadevala že dolgo. Na ukrajinski strani trditve označujejo za lažne novice.
rtv slovenia · about 3 hours ago
Το Κίεβο διαψεύδει ότι η Ρωσία κατέλαβε την πόλη Κοστιαντινίφκα, στόχος μεγάλης ουκρανικής επίθεσης με drones η Αγία Πετρούπολη «Το διαψεύδουμε», ήταν το σχόλιο Ουκρανού αξιωματούχου
protothema · about 3 hours ago
nobody will ever tell ukrainians which heroes to venerate....
gdeltproject.org · about 3 hours ago