The Russian military has been steadily losing more troops than it is recruiting, and Ukrainian drone attacks are taking a major toll on its energy infrastructure, forcing Russia to face critical shortages.
However, the Russian military is going all-in on taking the strategic city of Kostyantynivka in the Donbas Oblast of eastern Ukraine, and is trying to surround it.
Lancet Drone from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The city is important to Putin’s army because it is a primary gateway to the Kramatorsk-Sloviansk metropolitan area.
Its capture is viewed as a critical step in the Kremlin’s wider objective of seizing the entirety of Ukraine’s Donbas region.
The City Is A Grey-Zone In Hard Fighting
While some Ukrainian troops have told the BBC that the entire city is now effectively in a “grey zone”, no longer controlled by anyone. One Ukrainian drone operator said that Russian troops have been able to get behind Ukrainian positions, and it has been difficult to drive them out.
However, that is being denied in other Ukrainian circles.
Russian troops have been spotted in various parts of Kostiantynivka, including the city center.
These include lone occupiers who have infiltrated the city, as well as groups controlling individual buildings or the entrances to high-rise buildings.
Lancet Drone. Image Credit: Russian State Media.
However, there is no entire area under the control of Russian troops, said Brigadier General Oleksandr Bakulin, commander of the 19th Army Corps.
He has stated that “the situation remains under control” and “the enemy has no success”.
“Kostiantynivka is the gateway to the Kramatorsk metropolitan area,” Serhiy Khominsky, press officer for the 100th Mechanized Brigade, said. “That is why it is absolutely clear that the enemy has committed enormous forces and resources to capturing the city and is trying to achieve some success there.”
The City of Kramatorsk Is Key To The Entire Donbas
Kostyantynivka is a key objective in Russia’s goal and a gateway to the rest of the Donbas region.
Russia has yet to achieve one of its strategic goals in the invasion, but they continue to attack in the Donbas Oblast, trying to gain any leverage that it can.
Kostiantynivka acts as the southern anchor of the Kramatorsk area.
If Kostiantynivka falls, Russian forces would be able to push towards Ukraine’s strongholds in the east, the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, and move closer to seizing Donbas completely, one of the Kremlin’s key objectives in this war.
There are conflicting views on how serious the situation is in the city, and while it may not be as serious as the Russians claim, it is probably more serious than the Ukrainians care to admit.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Washington-based think tank, posted that, “The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and other Russian sources continue to aggrandize the extent of Russian advances within Kostyantynivka as part of an ongoing informational effort intended to falsely paint the city as falling imminently and to inflate Russian military capabilities.”
TASS reported that Russian troops are enveloping the settlement of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, strategically important for the Ukrainian army, from all sides after liberating Artyoma, according to military expert Andrey Marochko.
“The liberation of the settlement of Artyoma – also called Dolgaya Balka [the Ukrainian name] is a strategic success of the Russian Armed Forces because we are enveloping Kostyantynivka from all sides; moreover, on a very broad front,” Marochko said.
The overly optimistic Russian reports are designed to divert attention from Ukraine’s attacks on oil refineries deep inside Russia and on supply routes to Crimea, and the major fuel shortages they have caused, and to have some positive news to report.
Russian Drones Hitting Their Own Troops?
“The enemy has stepped up airstrikes and the use of guided bombs (drones) on the city, destroying, in particular, their own forces that they are trying to amass there.
There have been more than a few instances where they struck right where their own fighters were,” said Ivan Petrychak, head of the communications department of the 24th Mechanized Brigade.
The 100th Missile Brigade reports a substantial increase in the use of Russian UAVs – this includes aerial reconnaissance, bombers, kamikaze drones, and drones used for remote mining of specific areas.
Kostyantynivka Has Been Under Attack Since The Ukraine Invasion Began
Russia has been targeting Kostyantynivka with missile strikes and shelling since the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
However, it has been an active, sustained ground battleground and front-line city since the Russian military launched an intensive offensive aimed directly at taking the city in October 2025.
The city serves as a major logistical and railway hub near the front lines; this has made it a target for Russian forces, and it has been repeatedly bombarded with devastating missile and rocket attacks.
Early Russian missile and drone attacks caused mass-casualty losses and damaged the city’s market and residential areas.
However, that shifted in late October of 2025, when Russian forces began a concerted push toward the city’s perimeter, gradually infiltrating the outskirts through neighboring villages.
The fighting has been characterized by a slow-moving urban street-fighting campaign, with Russian troops attacking in small infantry groups.
Each side has been using FPV drones, artillery, and glide bombing to attack the other.
Russia has suffered over 910 casualties during the past month in the fighting. Despite this, some Ukrainians believe that the city’s loss is just a matter of time, according to the BBC.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
