Fighting has intensified around the strategic city of Konstantinovka in Ukraine’s Donetsk region as Russian forces continue pressing deeper into the urban area. Ukrainian units have been attempting to hold their defensive positions while peace negotiations aimed at ending the conflict proceed in the background, creating a stark contrast between battlefield conditions and diplomatic efforts.
On Tuesday, multiple videos appeared across social media showing Ukrainian troops evacuating remaining residents from neighborhoods where Russian forces have advanced. Footage indicated that Russian units had penetrated into the eastern and southeastern districts of the city, suggesting a deeper level of urban engagement than previously acknowledged. The spread of these images follows confirmation last Thursday from President Vladimir Putin during a frontline visit, in which he stated that the battle for Konstantinovka was already underway. Visual evidence of the fight’s intensity has only become widespread in recent days.
Before the full-scale invasion in 2022, Konstantinovka sat roughly 13 miles, or about 21 kilometers, from the established front line and served as a logistical hub supporting Ukrainian operations. The city relied on the H-20 highway and a parallel railway system that run west toward Pokrovsk, a major supply point about 30 miles away. Both the highway and railway have been unusable since Russian forces reached the area last year. With Pokrovsk now under Russian control, Konstantinovka has shifted from a logistics center to a defensive barrier protecting the last major Ukrainian strongholds in Donbas: Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
Current estimates suggest Russia now controls between 30 and 40 percent of the city. During his visit, a Russian commander told Putin he intended to seize Konstantinovka by mid-December, a timeline that underscores the pace of the Russian assault. If the city falls, the nearby regional center of Gorlovka would be pushed out of range of Ukrainian artillery and FPV drone strikes that have continued throughout the year. Such a development would represent a political victory for Moscow, aligning with one of the Kremlin’s stated objectives of protecting residents of Donbas and consolidating control over the region.