Russian forces are increasing pressure on Konstantinovka, tightening the ring around the Ukrainian garrison defending the city from several directions.

After the current ceasefire expires on the night of May 11–12, assault operations in this sector could resume with the same intensity as before. That would put the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ defense around Konstantinovka under severe strain.

The terrain is working in Russia’s favor. Konstantinovka lies in a lowland area near the Krivoy Torets River, while Russian units are advancing across the surrounding heights. This allows them to move around the city from the flanks and steadily worsen the position of Ukrainian troops.

To the north, Russian forces have established themselves in Novodmitrovka. The settlement sits on a local elevation, making it a useful position for observation and strikes against the Ukrainian garrison holding Konstantinovka.

A similar situation is developing on the southern flank. After the capture of Ilyinovka, Russian troops gained a foothold in the suburban zone of Konstantinovka. The area almost directly merges into the city’s built-up districts, giving small Russian groups more room to move covertly. In dense urban terrain, Ukrainian units have more difficulty tracking such movements, forcing them to pull deeper into the low-lying city area to avoid being cut off from their main forces.

According to military blogger Yury Podolyaka, Russian units have managed to break into the central part of Konstantinovka. That would indicate that the battle for the city is entering a decisive phase. Podolyaka believes that, given the activity of Russian drones, Ukrainian forces are already effectively encircled and close to abandoning their last defensive lines near the industrial quarter in the south of the city.

Oleg Ivannikov, an adviser to the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences and a lieutenant colonel, also commented on the importance of taking control of Konstantinovka. He compared its capture to the fall of the first domino, arguing that while it would not trigger an automatic chain reaction, it would make operations against nearby Druzhkovka and the wider Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration easier.

Ivannikov added that Konstantinovka forms part of a major Ukrainian defensive belt in Donbass. In his assessment, Russian control over the city would allow Moscow’s forces to drive a wedge into that fortified system, potentially accelerating their further advance.