Russian military officials have informed President Vladimir Putin that their forces have taken control of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine, a strategically important location in the Donetsk region that Moscow has long sought to secure.
Putin was shown in footage visiting a command post where he received updates from senior commanders, with the Russian leader describing the reported capture as a significant strategic gain.
He also said Russian forces must expand so-called security buffer zones in response to intensified Ukrainian long-range strikes, which have largely targeted Russia’s energy infrastructure, particularly its oil sector.
Ukraine has not yet issued any response to Moscow’s claim regarding the capture of Kostiantynivka.
Russia’s Chief of General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, announced the development during a briefing on the war, which is now in its fifth year, stating that Russian troops were advancing in offensive operations across the Donetsk region.
He said the objective remains the “liberation” of the wider Donbas area, including full control of key fortified positions linking Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka.
According to Gerasimov, the city served as a major defensive stronghold and logistics hub for Ukrainian forces in the region.
The Russian Defence Ministry also released images claiming to show troops inside Kostiantynivka, including soldiers raising national flags amid heavily damaged infrastructure.
Gerasimov further stated that Russian forces were advancing towards Lyman, a nearby town described as a key logistical point for further operations in the area.
Military commanders also told Putin that efforts were ongoing to strengthen border security zones in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions, aimed at reducing cross-border attacks.
Putin, in response, said that continued Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure would lead to the establishment of wider buffer zones inside neighbouring territory.
Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, have previously stated that Russian advances have slowed in recent months, with Kyiv forces also regaining certain positions.
The Kremlin, however, dismissed such claims, describing them as part of an information campaign, while diplomatic efforts toward a broader peace settlement remain stalled.
