The commander of an assault platoon from the 1465th Motorized Rifle Regiment of Russia’s Yug Group of Forces, known by the call sign Kirgiz, said he was ordered to establish a direct link with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the officer, the conversation took place from the center of Konstantinovka.

In footage provided by the Russian Defense Ministry, Kirgiz said the order came after his battalion had taken the central district. He added that Russian troops were monitoring the airspace to prevent unexpected incidents during the call.

The officer said reconnaissance units from the Yug Group of Forces had identified a weak point in the Ukrainian defenses as Russian troops entered the city. Assault units then continued their advance along three separate axes. He described their actions as fast, decisive and confident.

According to Kirgiz, Ukrainian units offered no serious resistance, while some servicemen began surrendering. He also stated that Konstantinovka was under Russian control.

The commander said his main source of pride was the battalion’s personnel. In his account, they broke through a heavily fortified Ukrainian defensive line and continued the advance despite the difficulty of the operation.