Zelensky Warns of Impending Russian Assaults Amid Ongoing Battle for Kostyantynivka

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Sunday that Ukrainian and Russian forces continue to contest the strategic eastern town of Kostyantynivka, which Moscow claims to have seized.

Russia announced earlier in the week that it had taken control of the settlement, situated along the route to key logistics hubs in the Donetsk region; however, Kyiv dismissed this claim as false, emphasizing that it is actively defending the town.

In his daily evening address, Zelensky noted that fighting persists in Kostyantynivka, a location Putin has publicly asserted as annexed, yet he “does not dare to appear there.”

The town, which had a pre‑war population of roughly 78,000, remains a focal point of the conflict.

Zelensky further warned that Russia is preparing a new large‑scale offensive ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Turkey, where he is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.

He indicated that intelligence indicates the Russian military is assembling a new massive strike, noting that a recent warning of an imminent attack on Kyiv was followed by Moscow’s missile barrage that killed 30 civilians.

Ukraine’s ongoing strikes against Russian targets, extending as far as the Ural Mountains, have reportedly inflicted daily damage on Russian supply lines.

“Pressure must be applied to Russia to achieve a peaceful resolution,” Zelensky said, adding that Kyiv has presented its peace proposals and expects that favorable conditions for a dignified settlement will emerge in the coming months, either through military pressure or diplomatic negotiations.

The conflict, described as Europe’s most severe since World War II, has persisted for nearly four and a half years.

At least four civilians were killed in Russian drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on Sunday.

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