Russia’s offensive on Kostiantynivka exposed weakness of Putin’s plan - CNN
Russian troops have been unable to fully capture Kostiantynivka over the past year, despite significant losses and advances. The campaign highlights the high cost of the offensive and the gap between the Kremlin’s statements and the reality on the front lines.
According to Censor.NET, CNN reports on this.
Journalists who worked in Kostiantynivka note that in the summer of 2025, the city’s market was still operating, even though the city was under constant Russian shelling. By the end of the year, the so-called "gray zone" had expanded to the central part of the city, and in early 2026, Russian troops achieved their greatest advance of the entire offensive campaign.
At the same time, according to estimates from Western sources—which align with Ukrainian data—Russia’s monthly casualties in the war amount to approximately 35,000 troops. Despite the enemy’s advance, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold the central areas of Kostiantynivka.
The article also notes that the humanitarian situation in the city is rapidly deteriorating. Russian shelling is intensifying, and logistics routes are regularly under fire from the occupying forces, which significantly complicates the delivery of aid and the evacuation of civilians.
According to CNN reporters, the fighting for Kostiantynivka has shown that the Russian offensive remains slow and extremely costly. Even if the city is occupied, it will merely open the way to Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the capture of which is also likely to take at least a year.
"A year of horrific violence in Kostiantynivka exposes a weakness at the heart of Putin’s military plan: How long can he maintain the Russian public’s confidence in a conflict in which even the smallest achievements have to be fabricated, and in reality remain out of reach?" CNN notes.
What led up to this?
Recently, Yuriy Butusov, commander of the UAV company of the 23rd Assault Regiment within the National Guard’s 2nd Corps "Charter," stated that the situation in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, is currently dire. The enemy has managed to enter the city, occupy part of it, and establish a foothold there.
- Earlier, the General Staff emphasized that Kostiantynivka remains under the control of the Defense Forces.
- For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian dictator Putin is lying about the capture of Kostiantynivka. At the same time, the president emphasized, "If Kostiantynivka is now under Russian control, then presumably Putin will have no problem meeting with me there and finding diplomatic solutions to finally end the war."
- On July 4, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced its readiness to carry out a "humanitarian operation" to transfer the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers in Kostiantynivka.
