Russia Pushes Into Kostiantynivka After Massive Overnight Attack on Ukraine
Russian forces have pushed into the city of Kostiantynivka, the southern anchor of Ukraine’s eastern fortress belt, after one of the largest single-night attacks of the war — 40 missiles and around 580 drones fired at multiple Ukrainian cities including Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro. At least 12 civilians were killed. President Zelensky accused Moscow of “attacking life itself”. In response, Ukrainian forces struck a Russian military satellite intelligence centre near Moscow. The Kostiantynivka breach is the most significant Russian territorial gain of the summer offensive so far. Ukrainian commanders say the urban core is still held but admit the defensive position has been weakened.
Russia has repeatedly missed deadlines for capturing Kostiantynivka — the city was supposed to fall by April 25 according to public Russian targets, and Zelensky pointed out today that Moscow has postponed full capture of the Donetsk region 15 times. The new push into the city outskirts does not mean the city has fallen, but it does represent the most significant territorial movement in months. Russian losses across the offensive remain heavy: Ukrainian estimates put them above 50,000 in the past quarter. Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign continues unabated — the satellite intelligence centre near Moscow is a particularly high-value target.