Putin's statement about the complete capture of Kostiantynivka is a lie - ISW
Kyiv • UNN
ISW analysts stated that Putin's claim about capturing Kostiantynivka does not correspond to reality. Russian presence in the city is limited to small groups of saboteurs.
Statement by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin about the alleged "complete capture" of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk region does not correspond to reality. This is stated in a material by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), reports UNN.
Details
According to analysts, all available evidence of the actual scale of Russian advances in the city indicates the opposite.
Russian forces have achieved tactical successes in Kostiantynivka in recent weeks, but the bulk of the Russian presence in the city consists of small groups of saboteurs interspersed with Ukrainian positions. Ukrainian military sources reported that as of mid-June, there were between 100 and 250 Russian soldiers in Kostiantynivka, and as of June 23, there were more Ukrainian soldiers in Kostiantynivka than Russian ones
They recall that senior Russian commanders have since January claimed advances along the entire front line at least once a month "at widely publicized briefings, which are part of the cognitive war."
"Russian achievements in June 2026 are only part of those achieved in June 2025, and the Russian spring-summer offensive of 2026 failed to achieve significant operational successes," summarize in ISW.
Recall
The day before, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that Kostiantynivka was completely taken. Putin announced the creation of a "security zone" in Kharkiv and Sumy regions.