Russian forces tighten pressure on strategic Ukrainian city

Russian troops have stepped up their offensive around the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka, increasing pressure on one of Kyiv's most important defensive positions in the Donbas region.

Russian troops have stepped up their offensive around the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka, increasing pressure on one of Kyiv’s most important defensive positions in the Donbas region. While Ukrainian military commanders insist the city remains under their control, soldiers fighting on the ground describe an increasingly difficult situation as Russian forces expand their presence inside the urban area.

According to Ukrainian troops, Russian soldiers have managed to enter different parts of the city and are attempting to surround it from multiple directions. A Ukrainian drone operator said the battlefield has become extremely challenging because enemy troops are infiltrating residential areas and hiding inside buildings. Once they establish positions, removing them becomes far more difficult due to the dense urban environment.

Kostyantynivka holds major strategic importance because it serves as a gateway to the remaining Ukrainian controlled cities in the Donbas. If Russia captures the city, it could move closer to Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, two of Ukraine’s strongest remaining positions in the east. Taking these cities would bring Moscow much closer to achieving its long standing goal of controlling the entire Donbas region.

Although the front line has remained largely unchanged for months, Ukrainian officials say their forces have made progress elsewhere by disrupting Russian supply routes linking the Russian border with occupied Crimea. Ukraine has also carried out repeated drone attacks on oil refineries deep inside Russia in an effort to weaken logistics and bring the effects of the war closer to Russian territory.

Despite these gains, fighting around Kostyantynivka has intensified. Ukrainian military officials reject Russian claims that the city has been surrounded, but they admit around 130 Russian soldiers remain inside the city. Brigadier General Oleksandr Bakulin, who oversees the area’s defence, said Ukrainian forces still control the situation even though enemy activity has increased.

Soldiers on the front line, however, paint a more worrying picture. One Ukrainian officer said Russian troops continue to build up their numbers inside the city despite regular Ukrainian counterattacks. He explained that every building offers potential cover for advancing troops, while trees and vegetation provide additional protection during the summer months. This has made it easier for Russian forces to move forward without being detected immediately.

Drone warfare has become one of the most important parts of the battle. Ukrainian operators say Russian drone teams are focusing on locating and destroying Ukrainian launch positions rather than directly targeting infantry. Limited resources and a shortage of personnel have made it difficult for Ukrainian units to respond effectively. As a result, Russian surveillance drones continue to identify defensive positions, forcing Ukrainian troops to withdraw from certain areas.

Military analysts say Russia is following a strategy similar to previous offensives in eastern Ukraine by attempting to cut supply routes before launching a full assault. Reports from the battlefield suggest Russian troops have captured several nearby villages, increasing pressure on Ukrainian defenders and making the delivery of supplies much more difficult.

The independent Ukrainian monitoring project DeepState warned that the situation around Kostyantynivka has become increasingly serious. It said the loss of the city would complicate military logistics across the region and place nearby Ukrainian strongholds under even greater threat. Frontline soldiers also report shortages of reinforcements, saying they lack enough personnel to defend existing positions, let alone retake lost ground. While Ukrainian forces continue resisting the advance, many believe stronger logistical support and greater focus on disrupting Russian operations will be essential to slowing the offensive.