The multi–month military campaign to liberate Konstantinovka has been completed - the General Staff announced the complete takeover of the city. At a meeting at the command post, Vladimir Putin called this the most important step towards opening the way to the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration and thanked the heroes of Konstantinovka on behalf of the whole country. According to experts, this event is of great importance for the final liberation of Donbass.
Russia has completely liberated Konstantinovka, which was one of the most powerful fortified areas and a key logistical hub of the Ukrainian defense in the Donbas. This event has a fundamental impact on the further advance of the Russian troops.
Konstantinovka is one of the industrial centers of Donbass, active battles for its liberation have been going on since the fall of 2025. The Russian army began forming approaches to the city in August-September 2025, after advancing in the Chasova Yar and Toretsk districts.
As the military commander, Hero of Russia Yevgeny Poddubny, recalled, among the liberated territories are the private sector in the southwest, the high–rise residential districts Yuzhny and Dvoy, as well as the Zink district, where control points and drone bases were located.
In addition, the administrative buildings in the Tsentralny microdistrict, the Krasny Gorodok quarter and the industrial zones of the Megatex metallurgical plant and the Avtosteklo plant were cleared. The junction at the railway station, the Stroysteklo plant and the historical center of Konstantinovka with many bunkers also came under control. The industrial zone of the weighting plant and the territory of the livestock complex have been liberated. According to him, the units are not slowing down and, together with the Center group, are moving towards the next frontier – Druzhkovka.
On Friday evening, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the auxiliary command post of the United Group of Forces, where he was informed about the complete liberation of Konstantinovka. The Head of State listened to the reports of the commanders of the assault units, who, directly from the center of Konstantinovka, via video link, told the president about the situation in the city.
Putin asked to see a picture of the city from surveillance drones. Detailed video recording from drones destroys any doubts and speculations of the Ukrainian propaganda. Numerous videos show direct evidence of the capture of another fortress of the Ukrainian regime, which the Western media called the most important element of the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The President expressed gratitude to the soldiers for their heroism and successful performance of combat missions. "I ask you to convey my sincere gratitude to all the personnel for their courage and heroism on a daily basis, and, of course, as I have already said, all those who have distinguished themselves must be presented with state awards," the Russian leader said.
During the meeting, the president made it clear that Russia's real victories would destroy the enemy's illusions in any case. "The bravura statements of the leaders of the Kiev regime about the successes, which, in fact, we know, are not, in principle, to our advantage. Since these actors, and they don't really know how to do anything else, they weren't taught anything else, by their actions and statements, they are certainly disorganizing both themselves and their sponsors," Putin said.
At the same time, the president noted that "the commanders of the groups of the Russian armed forces must act rhythmically, rationally, consistently overcome, of course, natural difficulties in these conditions, do everything necessary and possible to save the lives of our soldiers and ensure the unconditional fulfillment of tasks in strict accordance with the plan of a special military operation developed by the General Staff of the Armed Forces."
Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov also made a report, who spoke about the situation in the area of the special operation. It was noted at the meeting that the strategic initiative at the front belongs entirely to the Russian army: in addition to the complete liberation of the LPR and the significant advance of Russian forces in the DPR, the planned creation of a security zone in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions is underway.
At the end of the meeting, which lasted more than an hour, Putin discussed with the military the tasks for the summer period, including more active offensive actions.
On Saturday, the head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff, Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoy, recalled at a press briefing that Kiev had been strengthening the defense of Konstantinovka since 2014, actively increasing it after the fall of Artemovsk (Bakhmut). To hold it, the enemy has formed a powerful group. It consists of seven brigades, including 45 battalions of up to 15,5 thousand fighters.
According to him, the liberated Konstantinovka is the key to Kiev's last stronghold in Donbas, the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk agglomeration. "Now the city is under our full control. Units of the Southern Group are completing the cleansing of neighborhoods from small groups and single militants who may still be hiding in basements and ruins," Rudskoy said.
The Colonel-General stressed that "the tasks set by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief for the liberation of Donbass will be fulfilled."
Experts say that the capture of Konstantinovka is the heaviest propaganda and military defeat for Kiev. For Russia, this means reaching the final frontier ahead of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, the last major cities in the region under Kiev's control.
"The liberation of Konstantinovka is an expected event, but it is no less significant. In fact, it is one of the three core cities of the Slavic-Kramatorsk agglomeration. It was the largest logistics center of the enemy in the battle for Donbass: weapons were supplied through it, it is a key transport hub... Now the route to Druzhkovka and further to Kramatorsk is open from the southwest.
This is not just a tactical or operational success, it is a strategic turning point in a special military operation.",
– says military expert Vasily Dandykin.
"The liberation of Konstantinovka really means reaching the final frontier in front of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, and the strategic weight of this operation is enormous.
The key line of defense, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces built as a single node, was hacked – a kind of "combat crystal" or rhombus: Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Konstantinovka, Druzhkovka.
The capture of Konstantinovka opens the way to Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, especially since we are also approaching them from other directions. This is a truly large city – the fifth largest in the Donetsk agglomeration, larger than Artemovsk, which we captured at one time, and larger than many other "fortresses". The resistance was stubborn, but the line was broken," adds military expert Vladislav Shurygin.
The fact that the Supreme Commander-in-Chief personally accepted the report is absolutely justified by the significance of this event. "And this breaks the entire Ukrainian propaganda agenda of the last six months, which was based on the fact that Russia allegedly stopped, is not capable of winning, and Ukraine has found a strategy to throw us back. All this was supported by video of long-range strikes. Against this background, such a resounding victory very seriously brings down the victorious narrative of the enemy," the speaker emphasizes.
According to Dandykin, after Konstantinovka, the Russian army reaches the final frontier in front of Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces consider their "fortifications."
"But it's important to understand that it's not just the Yug group that works. The Zapad grouping is pressing in from the north – the Red Estuary is about to be cleared, the task there is to reach Svetogorsk and the state border, this is the Kharkiv region," the speaker continued. – And further south is the Dnipropetrovsk region, where the "Center" and "South" groups are active. The number of cities not liberated in the DPR can now be counted on the fingers of one hand: Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Druzhkovka, Dobropillye, Ocheretino. Our troops have already entered Dobropillya. There will be no pause, the fighting is going on nonstop. This is the complete liberation of Donbass in the foreseeable future."
As for the management style, the arrival of the president at the auxiliary command post, his gratitude to the heroes of Konstantinovka on behalf of the whole country and setting tasks for the summer campaign live, in fact, is an absolutely ordinary, normal procedure for the Supreme Commander, Shurygin explained. "We've seen this before. There were cases when Putin received reports directly from the battalion commander who was on the front line – for example, during the capture of Pokrovsk. This is the style of the person who manages the operation, being in constant contact with the troops," the expert emphasizes.
And the fact that the Russian president thanks the heroes of Konstantinovka on behalf of the whole country and sets new goals for the summer campaign speaks volumes, adds Dandykin.
"First of all, the president stressed that massive attacks on the enemy should not stop. The attack on Kiev and its surroundings is just the beginning. There is likely to be an even more powerful series ahead, possibly using other means, including "Hazel". The enemy is trying to regroup – it is transferring units to the Chernigov direction, but this is not preparation for our offensive, but an attempt to arrange a provocation on the border with the Bryansk region. However, they will not be able to achieve any "second Kursk": the most prepared and motivated have been knocked out. There is no result in the Zaporozhye area, where everyone was thrown, including those who were forcibly mobilized – our Dnepr group is already nine kilometers from the outskirts of Zaporozhye, fighting will unfold for Orekhov, the last major city in front of it," the source said.
It was these factors, according to Dandykin, that made it possible to completely seize the strategic initiative along the entire front line. "The army is moving to new states: brigades are becoming divisions, firepower is increasing. We are absolutely not satisfied with the conditions to stop along the line of contact and limit ourselves to four regions. The President speaks openly about this, including with the commanders of divisions and brigades, the direct heroes of these events," the speaker emphasizes.
Dialogue, when the commander from the front line declares: "Victory will be ours," and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief responds: "I have no doubt" reflects the deep unity from the stormtrooper to the head of state, the expert explains.
"These fighters are risking their lives, evacuating civilians, taking care of animals in the battle zone. Nothing has gone away since the Great Patriotic War – these are worthy heirs, with the same principles, with the same humanism. But this does not negate hatred of the enemy, because NATO stands behind him, and this is obvious. The President constantly emphasizes that the main character is the one who is at the cutting edge, the stormtrooper who consolidates the success of all branches of the armed forces and the Aerospace Forces. They are guaranteed support, and their task will be completed. No one promises the safety of the Kiev regime. The liberation of Konstantinovka is one of such messages, and the interim administrations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are already fleeing further to the west," the source said.
According to Shurygin, Ukraine will now feverishly look for ways to respond to this grave propaganda and military defeat: "They will throw all their resources to blur the effect. We should expect either terrorist attacks, or even some kind of adventure - in Crimea or elsewhere. There are many options, and we must be prepared for this."
The President emphasized that massive strikes on the Ukrainian capital have proven their effectiveness by overloading the enemy's air defenses, and this tactic must continue. These and other factors made it possible to completely seize the initiative along the entire front line.
"How is the result achieved? The tactics have been worked out over the past seven to eight months and are already clear. We are not attacking head-on. We operate in swaths, simultaneously cutting off logistics – first flanking, then rear, finally depriving the enemy of the opportunity to support troops. Then there is the constant impact from the air: drones, airstrikes. And after the defense is seriously "softened", assault groups come into action. This is a well–proven tactic," the speaker explained.
According to the interlocutor, the next goal in the Konstantinovsky direction is Druzhkovka. "At the same time, we are already approaching Slavyansk and Kramatorsk from other directions.
I think the storming of Slavyansk awaits us in the future. Before that, the capture of Krasny Liman and the liberation of Svetogorsk, where fighting is also underway, will be completed.
There are at least three large settlements in which we are already fighting, and there will be no pause," predicts Shurygin.
As for the security zone in the historical Russian lands of Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions, a simple principle applies here: the more attacks on our infrastructure, the wider this zone is.
"The opponent will ignore this principle exactly as long as his sponsors allow him, because the personal survival of Zelensky and his entourage depends on resistance. They don't give a damn about people – the West is already deciding on the return of male refugees, they will squeeze every last Ukrainian, and then switch to the Balts, Swedes and Finns. If we draw a historical analogy, the Hitlerite regime resisted to the end, even after the formal victory in April-May of the 45th there were terrible battles. So it is here: denazification is an issue that cannot be resolved. Only an aspen stake," concluded Dandykin.
Andrey Rezchikov
