Russia claims capture of key eastern Ukrainian stronghold Kostyantynivka as Putin hails 'major strategic' victory

Russia claimed a major battlefield breakthrough on Friday, saying its forces had captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka, a key gateway to Kyiv's remaining strongholds in the Donbas. President Vladimir Putin hailed the reported advance as being of "major strategic importance".

The battle for Kostyantynivka, a city that had around 78,000 residents before the war, has been ongoing since late 2025 and has become the focus of Russia's offensive along a front stretching more than 1,000 kilometres.

Kremlin announces capture

"Kostyantynivka has been completely taken. The city is now entirely under our control," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including AFP, adding that Putin had spoken with military commanders about the operation.

Appearing on television in military uniform alongside his general staff, Putin thanked Russian soldiers and said the capture of the city was of "major strategic importance."

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"The Russian armed forces continue to firmly maintain the strategic initiative" at the front, Putin added.

Russian forces continue operations

Russian commander Anton Grunis said troops were carrying out "search and elimination operations against isolated soldiers of the Ukrainian armed forces who are trying to hide in buildings, cellars and ruins".

Kostyantynivka is among the last Ukrainian-held positions on the approach to Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, two key cities that Russia has identified as its ultimate objectives in the Donbas region.

Peskov also said Putin had visited a Russian army command post, where he received a briefing from the general staff and thanked troops for their operations.

Russia reports further advances

According to Peskov, Russian forces now control the entire Lugansk region in eastern Ukraine, one of the two regions that make up the Donbas.

Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said Russian troops were now nine kilometres from Zaporizhzhia, a major city in southern Ukraine that had a pre-war population of more than 700,000.

Another Russian commander reported that troops were 10 kilometres from the northern regional capital of Sumy, which had around 250,000 inhabitants before the war.