Latest news with #Kostyantynivka
Wall Street Journal
22-07-2025
- Climate
- Wall Street Journal
See How Drones Are Dominating Every Corner of the War in Ukraine
KOSTYANTYNIVKA, Ukraine—On the sun-drenched eastern front of this grueling war, Ukrainian drones are doing more and more jobs, from killing Russian troops to evacuating casualties to bringing dinner to foxholes. Around this city, some infantry from Ukraine's 93rd Mechanized Brigade have been stuck in their dugouts for three months. Rotating the troops must wait for fog and rain to block the view of Russian drones.
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Ukrainian forces struggle to hold eastern frontlines: NYT
Ukrainian troops are struggling to hold the city of Kostyantynivka amid Russian drone attacks, as it becomes the focal point in the latest phase of Russia's summer offensive in eastern Donetsk Republic, The New York Times has reported. The city, now partially encircled, is a critical gateway to Ukraine's last major line of defense in Donetsk. Its fall would expose northern cities to Russian drones and move Moscow closer to capturing the entire region. One injured Ukrainian soldier was left stranded in the forest at night after his unit informed him they couldn't evacuate him, as the road back to their base had turned into a death trap. Details of the May operation, shared by soldier Chaosov, an officer from the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, and confirmed by drone footage obtained by NYT, highlight the dire conditions Ukrainian troops are facing. Russia has now captured over two-thirds of Donetsk, but to seize the rest, it must take the remaining Ukrainian-held urban centers crucial for military logistics. Kostyantynivka stands as the southern gateway to a string of cities forming Ukraine's last major defense belt in the region. Russian forces have established a 16-kilometer-deep (10-mile) pocket around the Ukrainian forces, partially surrounding them from the east, south, and west. According to six Ukrainian soldiers and officers in the area, nearly every movement inside this pocket is tracked and targeted by Russian drones 24/7. Troops often remain trapped for weeks without rotation or medical evacuation. 'It's extremely difficult to deliver supplies, to rotate troops — to do anything, really,' said "Makas," an officer in Ukraine's 12th Azov Brigade. With the looming threat of a full-scale Russian attack on Kostyantynivka, Ukraine braces for what could be a prolonged and bloody battle. Soldiers speculate whether Russia will launch a direct offensive, as it did in Bakhmut in 2023, or encircle the city using a pincer strategy, echoing the tactics employed in the capture of Avdiivka. In either case, Ukrainian troops warn that Russia's enhanced drone warfare capabilities are giving Moscow an edge not seen in previous battles.
New York Times
14-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Russia's Summer Offensive in Ukraine Gains Ground With New Tactics
Russia's summer offensive in eastern Ukraine, launched in May, is showing battlefield gains across multiple fronts, probing and attacking with small, fast-moving units as fighting escalates daily. With its advance, Russia has shifted the war's rhythm. In May, Russian forces seized roughly 173 square miles, more than double April's gains, according to DeepState, a Ukrainian group that maps the conflict using combat footage. Most gains came south of Kostyantynivka, in the Donetsk region, and near the Russian border in the northern Sumy region. In a new development this spring, both sides have turned to motorcycles and civilian cars to quickly cross open terrain. Ukraine, which relies heavily on drones to hold its positions, is using civilian vehicles to resupply its defensive lines, while Russia uses them in assaults. 'It's a kind of renaissance of the cavalry, but with internal combustion engines,' said Col. Viktor Kevliuk, a Ukrainian Army reservist and an analyst at Ukraine's Center for Defense Strategies, a think tank. Here are the areas where the front is moving. Sumy In recent months, Russian troops have captured at least a dozen villages in the Sumy region. The advance is tiny, but in frequent steps, with small assault groups, often just two or three Russian soldiers, who probe Ukrainian positions in waves. 'Where the last surviving infantry is holding out, the next assault group arrives to build on any success,' Colonel Kevliuk said. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Al Arabiya
28-05-2025
- General
- Al Arabiya
Russia says its forces capture two settlements in eastern Ukraine
Russian troops took control of the settlement of Kostyantynivka in Ukraine's Sumy region and Zelene Pole in the Donetsk region, Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
Asharq Al-Awsat
28-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Zelenskiy Says Russia Has Gathered 50,000 Troops for Offensive on Northern Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that Russia has gathered 50,000 troops near Ukraine's northern Sumy region, but added that Kyiv had taken steps to prevent Moscow from conducting a large-scale offensive there. The build-up comes as Russia appears to be gearing up for a summer offensive in Ukraine while Kyiv waits for Moscow to present a memorandum laying out its conditions to proceed with ceasefire talks. Sumy lies across the border from Russia's Kursk region where Ukraine previously seized and held a pocket of land for months, before being almost fully pushed out last month, although it says it still holds some areas there. "Their largest, strongest forces are currently on the Kursk front," Zelenskiy told reporters on Tuesday. "To push our troops out of the Kursk region and to prepare offensive actions against the Sumy region." Putin has said he wants a "buffer zone" along Russia's border with Ukraine. Zelenskiy said he believed Russia wanted a buffer zone of about 10 kilometers (6 miles). Russia has captured at least four border villages in the region recently, and has been creeping slowly forwards over the past several weeks on parts of the frontline in eastern Ukraine near the city of Kostyantynivka. However, Zelenskiy said that the Russians had been pushed back in that area by 4 km (2.5 miles) over two days. Ukraine and Russia swapped 1,000 captives each after a meeting of the two countries' delegations in Istanbul nearly two weeks ago which failed to produce a ceasefire sought by Ukraine, the US and Europe. Zelenskiy said that he viewed Türkiye, the Vatican and Switzerland as the most realistic venues for further negotiations with Russia. He said interest in hosting talks had also been expressed by Malta, as well as unspecified African nations. Reuters previously reported that Moscow does not see the Vatican as a serious venue for talks. Zelenskiy said that he will attend the next G7 summit after being invited by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose country currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency. He added that he will likely take part in the next EU summit. Speaking about Ukraine's domestic arms production, Zelenskiy said he wanted $30 billion for Ukraine to fully fund the available capacity of the rapidly expanding sector.
