Ukraine’s army chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on Saturday that Russian forces are advancing slowly toward the city of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine, in an attempt to establish a foothold near a heavily fortified area.
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Kostiantynivka, along with other cities, forms part of what is known as the “fortress belt” in the east of the country—an area strongly fortified by Ukrainian forces.
Syrskyi said on Telegram, “We are repelling the ongoing attempts by Russian occupiers to seize the outskirts of Kostiantynivka using infiltration tactics. Counter-sabotage measures are currently underway in the city.”
Operational maps published by the Ukrainian military-focused blog “Deep State” showed that Russian forces are now positioned approximately one kilometer from the southern outskirts of the city.
Small parts of southeastern Kostiantynivka have been marked as “gray zones,” meaning that neither Ukrainian nor Russian forces have full control over them.
Russia is demanding that Ukraine withdraw from areas it failed to capture in the neighboring Donetsk and Luhansk regions during its full-scale war, which began four years ago. U.S.-mediated peace talks have stalled over this issue, as Ukrainian officials insist that Kyiv will not concede territory still under its control.
Over the past few years, Russian forces have been unable to capture any major urban centers in Ukraine, instead advancing slowly and taking control of smaller towns, most of them in eastern Ukraine.
Reuters
