Russia Claims Fortress Town Captured; Zelensky Mocks the Claim
Russia’s military claimed the capture of Kostyantynivka, the anchor of Ukraine’s fortress belt in Donetsk, a day after President Putin first asserted control — without offering evidence. Ukraine’s military said the town “remains under the control of the Defence Forces of Ukraine”, acknowledging infiltration by small infantry groups. President Zelensky replied that if the town were truly in Russian hands, “Putin will probably have no problem meeting me there and finding diplomatic solutions to finally end the war”.
Were it real, Kostyantynivka would be Moscow’s first significant battlefield gain this year — which is precisely why the claim arrives now, two days before NATO leaders meet in Ankara, from a military that independent analysts assess as barely advancing at extraordinary cost. A think-tank study this week put Russian casualties near 1.4 million, including up to 450,000 dead. The information war matters because summit decisions on aid urgency are shaped by perceptions of momentum. Watch for visual confirmation either way in the coming days — and whether the claim is quietly dropped, as previous ones have been.