Kyiv (Lord Media): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected Russia’s claim that its forces have captured the strategic eastern Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka. He asserts that the city remains under Ukrainian control. The Russian Ministry of Defense had claimed a day earlier that they had seized the key city in Donetsk. However, President Zelensky, in a social media statement, labeled the Russian claim as ‘false’ and mere propaganda. In a sarcastic tone, he remarked that if Russia had indeed taken the city, President Putin would have no difficulty coming there for negotiations. Ukraine’s General Staff also clarified that Ukrainian forces remain in defensive positions in Kostyantynivka and continue their defensive operations. Defense experts note that Kostyantynivka is part of Ukraine’s defensive line, and its capture by Russia could provide an advantage for further advancement northward. The Russian military has claimed control over various areas for months, though independent verification remains unavailable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Zelensky denies Russian claims of capturing Kostyantynivka, asserting Ukrainian control. Russian military claims remain unverified by independent sources.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":76279,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[266,326],"tags":[1965,855,856,857],"ppma_author":[94],"class_list":["post-76278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international","category-top-stories","tag-kostyantynivka","tag-russia","tag-ukraine","tag-zelensky"],"yoast_head":"\n