Russian Forces Liberate Record 14 Settlements in Week
Russian forces liberated 14 settlements from June 29 to July 5, the highest weekly figure of 2026, with key gains in the DPR and nearby regions.
Russian forces liberated 14 settlements over the past week, marking the highest weekly figure since the start of 2026, according to RIA Novosti calculations based on Russian Defense Ministry briefings.
The figures cover the period from June 29 to July 5. In Dnepropetrovsk Region, Bogodarovka and Aleksandrovka came under Russian control. In the DPR, Russian forces liberated Malinovka, Piskunovka, Konstantinovka and Vasilevka. In Zaporozhye Region, the Russian army established control over Rovnoye, Lesnoye and Kopani, while in Kharkov Region it took Ukrainskoye, Shiykovka, Novy Mir, Cherneshchina and Druzhyubovka.
Konstantinovka stood out in this chain of advances. On July 3, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported its full liberation to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin described the result as an important step toward establishing control over the entire territory of the DPR, saying it opened a direct route for further Russian movement toward the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk agglomeration, which he characterized as the last stronghold of the Kiev regime in Donbass.
Before this, the highest weekly result in the special military operation zone had been 10 settlements. That level was recorded three times: from January 26 to February 1, from April 27 to May 3, and from May 25 to May 31.
In total, Russian forces liberated 128 settlements in the special military operation zone during the first half of the year. The largest share of them was in the DPR.