Russian forces have claimed to have captured the strategically significant city of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine. According to international media reports, including Reuters, Russia’s military leadership formally briefed President Vladimir Putin on the development on Friday (July 3).
Footage broadcast on state television shows President Putin visiting a military command post, where he received updates from senior commanders on the latest battlefield situation. During the briefing, Putin described the reported capture of Kostyantynivka as an important strategic achievement.
Putin stated that Ukraine has intensified long-range strikes, particularly targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure, adding that this has necessitated the expansion of security measures.
However, there has been no immediate response from the Ukrainian side regarding Russia’s claim, and the information could not be independently verified.
Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, said that southern forces are continuing sustained operations aimed at what Moscow describes as the “liberation” of the Donetsk region. Moscow has long declared the full control of the Donbas as one of the central objectives of its military campaign.
Gerasimov further claimed that Kostyantynivka—part of the Sloviansk–Kramatorsk–Kostyantynivka defensive corridor—is now under Russian control.
Earlier, Russian military sources had stated that parts of the city were already under their control. Kostyantynivka is considered a key fortified city in Ukraine’s defense system in the Donbas region.
President Putin also described the city as strategically important, noting that it serves as a major transport and industrial hub whose control could have significant military implications.
Source: Reuters