Russia prepares offensive on Kostiantynivka: The enemy aims to disrupt Ukrainian Armed Forces' logistics

With certain modifications, the Russians continue to pursue their objectives, said Pavlo Lakiychuk, Director of Security Programs at the Center for Global Studies, during a broadcast on "KYIV24."

"The main task on the Pokrovsk front for Russia now is to capture Pokrovsk and disrupt our logistics," Lakiychuk says.

He says that the Kostiantynivka operation phase is beginning.

"Russia seeks to threaten our forces in the Toretsk and Chasiv Yar directions and launch an offensive on Kostiantynivka," Lakiychuk concluded.

Why Russia is eager to capture Kostiantynivka

Kostiantynivka, a city in the Kramatorsk district of Donetsk region, is a key railway and road hub that serves as a critical logistics center and fortified area for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. At the start of the full-scale war, the city was heavily targeted by Russian aviation and long-range missiles. However, as the front line approached in spring, its outskirts came within range of Russian FPV drones and artillery.

Authorities report that 20-30% of buildings in Kostiantynivka have already been destroyed. Up to 9,000 civilians remain in the city, compared to approximately 70,000 residents before the war.

It is noted that in the spring, Russian forces managed to punch a hole in the Ukrainian defenses southwest of Kostiantynivka near the road to Pokrovsk. For a long time, the Russians could not secure control of this road, but by early May, they succeeded in cutting it off, capturing several villages both south and north of the route.

The situation is complicated by simultaneous Russian attacks in the opposite direction — toward the Myrnohrad-Pokrovsk agglomeration. This prevents the Ukrainian General Staff from concentrating additional forces on a single front, as they are forced to spread resources across multiple directions. However, Ukrainian command believes that the Kremlin's primary objective remains the capture of Kostiantynivka.