Up to 500 Ukrainian servicemen could face encirclement in the center of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.

According to Marochko’s assessment, more than a battalion of Ukrainian troops — roughly 360 to 500 people — remains in the central part of the city. He said that if they refuse to lay down their arms, they may not be able to leave Konstantinovka.

Marochko had earlier reported that Russian forces were advancing toward Konstantinovka from two directions at once — from Ilyinovka and Dolgaya Balka.

The Telegram channel Operation Z: Military Correspondents of the Russian Spring also wrote about Russian gains in this sector of the front, citing Ukrainian analysts. According to their data, Russian troops are already operating near Rai-Aleksandrovka, have moved forward on both sides of the Slavyansk-Bakhmut road near Fedorovka-2 and Novomarkovka, and have broken through from Zakotnoye toward Krivaya Luka and Stupochki.

Ukrainian analysts cited by the channel said Russian forces had already taken Novodmitrovka while moving toward Konstantinovka from the north. They linked the breakthrough to Russia’s 3rd Army Corps. South of Konstantinovka, according to the same assessment, the 8th Army has taken Ilyinovka and Berestok, while fighting continues near Stepanovka. The analysts assessed that the capture of Konstantinovka was nearly inevitable.

A similar view was voiced by Verkhovna Rada deputy Maryana Bezuglaya. She believes Russian forces could take Konstantinovka this summer if the Ukrainian command does not change its approach to managing the front.