Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated the claimed occupation of Kostiantinivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Friday evening.
Peskov reported that Putin stated Russian troops had inflicted significant losses on Ukrainian defenders.
However, Ukraine’s military headquarters firmly denied this information on Saturday, as reported by Reuters. A Ukrainian military official categorically stated, “We deny this. These are new false claims.”
Initially, Kyiv remained silent, but Ukrainian military officials recently acknowledged the challenging situation in Kostiantinivka, noting that the industrial city has suffered extensive destruction. In a communique on Friday evening concerning the situation, the Ukrainian military headquarters mentioned only heavy fighting around the area.
According to an evaluation released Friday by the Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces have made tactical gains in Kostiantinivka in recent weeks. However, their presence in the city is limited to small infiltrated groups among Ukrainian positions, which control the majority of the locality.
A Key Pillar of the “Fortress Belt”
Kostiantinivka is situated within the “Fortress Belt,” a 50-kilometer stretch that includes three towns held by Kyiv: Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and Kostiantinivka. Maintaining a defensible frontline depends on control of this stretch, especially given the numeric and material disadvantages faced by the Ukrainian army. Over the past 11 years, Kyiv has invested substantial time and resources into fortifying defenses around these towns.
The Fortress Belt is protected by the Siverskyi Donetsk and Oskil Rivers, which compel Russian forces to attack the fortifications head-on rather than circumventing them through flanking maneuvers. From this standpoint, there are few larger waterways behind the belt that could facilitate effective defensive lines.
Additionally, the towns along the belt are located on slightly elevated terrain, making them easier for Ukrainians to defend and more costly for Russian assaults. Moreover, the higher ground is crucial for communications as it enhances signal projection, providing a notable advantage in drone usage.
In contrast, if the Russian army breaches these positions, they would enter a vast steppe, which would favor the rapid movement of numerically superior forces.
