KYIV — Ukraine’s general staff issued a firm denial on Saturday, dismissing Russian claims that Moscow’s military had taken control of the key eastern city of Kostiantynivka.
“We deny this. These are more fake claims,” a general staff official stated.
According to the General Staff, Kostiantynivka has not fallen and remains firmly in Ukrainian hands.
“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,” the statement read.
The dispute arose after Russia’s military informed President Vladimir Putin on Friday that its forces had successfully captured Kostiantynivka — a strategic objective Moscow has been pursuing as part of its broader push through the Donetsk region.
Kostiantynivka holds significant military importance as the southernmost of four key towns that together form a defensive line central to Ukraine’s effort to hold onto the heavily industrialized Donetsk region.
Military analysts note that if Russian forces were to take Kostiantynivka, it would provide them a launching point to drive northward along the defensive corridor, which has become the primary focus of their current campaign.
Russian forces have previously claimed to control portions of Kostiantynivka, one of several heavily fortified urban centers that make up what is known as Ukraine’s “fortress belt” in Donetsk.
