Ukrainian Armed Forces units may soon begin pulling back from Konstantinovka, according to the authors of the Telegram channel Voennaya Khronika.

The channel argues that Russia’s recent gains on this section of the front are being driven by a gradual infiltration into the city and the buildup of small infantry groups inside it.

According to the authors, full control over Konstantinovka is still far off. However, they believe there is a strong chance that Ukrainian forces will avoid holding their positions «to the last» and may soon start withdrawing toward Druzhkovka, where a reserve defense hub has already been prepared.

Against this backdrop, the next moves of Russian troops are becoming increasingly important. If they manage to consolidate their current positions and keep advancing inside the city, several possible scenarios could open up.

The first would be a focus on fully securing Konstantinovka. In that case, the Russian Armed Forces would gain a more stable rear area and could use it as a base for further offensive operations.

A second, more dynamic scenario would involve pushing after retreating Ukrainian units into the fortified area around Druzhkovka. According to Voennaya Khronika’s analysts, such a maneuver could allow Russian troops to defeat Ukrainian forces faster and take control of another key defensive node.

The third option appears the riskiest, but the authors do not rule it out entirely. After the capture of Konstantinovka, Russian forces could attempt a strike toward Kramatorsk. Such an operation would require an advance across open terrain, making it significantly more difficult.

If successful, however, the move could disrupt supplies to the Ukrainian garrison in Druzhkovka, as well as several other Ukrainian positions.

Military analysts cited by the channel believe that this kind of development could trigger a chain reaction, creating resource shortages for Ukrainian troops across multiple sectors of the front.