Russia Sends Thousands More Troops at Kostiantynivka as 66,000-Strong City Anchors Donetsk Push
Updated
Updated · inews · Jul 10
Russia Sends Thousands More Troops at Kostiantynivka as 66,000-Strong City Anchors Donetsk Push
3 articles · Updated · inews · Jul 10
Summary
Thousands of additional Russian troops are being thrown into the fight for Kostiantynivka, with Moscow escalating urban combat around the eastern stronghold it sees as the key to taking all of Donetsk.
Kostiantynivka sits in Ukraine’s fortified belt with Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk; if it falls, Russian forces would gain a route toward those larger defensive hubs.
Ukrainian and independent analysts say the city’s defenses are still holding despite Russian infiltration teams inside some districts, rejecting Putin’s claim that Moscow already controls the whole city.
Russia’s push comes as its wider offensive struggles: CSIS estimated advances of just 50 metres a day near Kostiantynivka, while April and May brought a net loss of 400 sq km and casualties above recruitment.
Even if Kostiantynivka falls by late summer, analysts say exhausted Russian forces would still face a long fight through the rest of Ukraine’s fortress belt rather than a rapid Donbas breakthrough.
With Russia's advance at a crawl, why is a key Ukrainian city's fall still seen as inevitable?
Is Russia's AI-powered information war proving more decisive than its slow and costly ground assault?
As Ukrainian drones strike deep into Russia, is Putin's war of attrition beginning to backfire on the home front?
Stalemate and Attrition: The Battle for Kostiantynivka and the Human, Economic, and Strategic Costs of the Ukraine War as of July 2026
Overview
In early July 2026, Russia claimed to have fully captured Kostiantynivka, with President Putin highlighting its strategic value as a gateway to further advances in Donetsk. However, independent analysts reported that Russian forces were largely stalled and suffering heavy casualties, despite Putin’s determination to continue the offensive. The battle for Kostiantynivka illustrates the broader conflict’s slow pace and high human cost, shaped by strong defensive positions and intense fighting. This situation underscores the challenges both sides face, with Russia’s ambitions meeting stiff resistance and significant losses, making future progress uncertain.