Russian forces claim capture of Kostjantynivka as drone strikes escalate across Ukraine and Russia

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Russian forces claim capture of strategic Donbas city as drone warfare intensifies across Ukraine and Russia
Russian defence ministry officials announced on Friday that their forces had captured Kostjantynivka, a key Ukrainian stronghold in the Donetsk region, describing the city as a “strategically important” prize in the Donbas. The claim, reported by multiple outlets including Zeit and Aftenposten, was immediately contested by Ukrainian authorities who had reported heavy fighting in the area as recently as Thursday. The Russian ministry’s statement followed overnight drone and missile strikes across Ukraine that killed at least 13 people and injured more than 85, according to Ukrainian emergency services cited by Irish Sun.
The escalation in drone warfare reached new levels on Friday night when Ukrainian forces struck the Saki Air Base in Russian-occupied Crimea, destroying multiple hangars and at least seven aircraft including Su-30SM, Su-30, and Su-24 jets, according to open-source intelligence reports published by OSINT Insights. Hours later, Ukrainian drones targeted an oil terminal in St. Petersburg, igniting fires and sending plumes of black smoke over the city’s port area, as documented in social media footage and reported by Kyiv Independent and The Moscow Times.
Russian authorities reported intercepting 16 drones over Moscow early on Saturday, with Mayor Sergey Sobyanin stating that emergency crews were responding to debris impact sites across the capital Kyiv Post. Meanwhile, Russian missile strikes on civilian infrastructure in Odesa Oblast injured two people and set a food warehouse ablaze, according to Ukraine’s state emergency service cited by Ukrinform.
The human toll mounted in eastern Ukraine, where Russian attacks on Sumy killed four people including a child and wounded 27 others, Ukrainian officials said Reuters. In Zaporizhzhia, regional authorities reported 1,106 strikes across 43 settlements over the past 24 hours, killing two and injuring 39 Ukrinform.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western allies to intensify pressure on Russia’s shadow oil fleet and strengthen air defences following the latest strikes, warning that Moscow’s energy sector remained a critical vulnerability Kyiv Post. The International Institute for Strategic Studies said Russia was “highly likely” behind a coordinated drone campaign targeting military and nuclear sites across more than a dozen European countries, exposing weaknesses in allied air defences Yeni Safak.
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