Russian forces have moved close to the city of Konstantinovka, advancing from the south and southeast, according to Igor Kimakovsky, an adviser to the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

Konstantinovka, located within the DPR, remains under Ukrainian control. The city sits northwest of Dzerzhinsk and west of Chasov Yar — towns that were taken by Russian forces in 2025. The advance from two directions places Konstantinovka in a more precarious position on the map of ongoing military operations.

Kimakovsky noted that Ukraine’s military leadership has had to adjust its strategy. Some of its most capable units were withdrawn from the Konstantinovka area and redeployed toward Krasnoarmeysk, also known by its Ukrainian name Pokrovsk. Fighting there has intensified, drawing in forces that might otherwise have been used to strengthen positions near Konstantinovka.

Krasnoarmeysk holds particular significance as a district center in the northwestern part of the DPR. It is also home to a major railway hub, with transport routes linking Donetsk to Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region. This strategic infrastructure adds weight to the battles now unfolding in and around the city.