Zelensky and the Armed Forces of Ukraine denied Putinʼs statement about the alleged occupation of Kostyantynivka — a city under the control of Ukrainian troops (UPD)

On the evening of July 3, Putin announced that the Russian army had completely captured the city of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region. The spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Kovalyov said in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine that this information was not true.

Kovalyov noted that according to the automated system of the Operational Control Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "Dzvin" and the DELTA system, Kostyantynivka is under the control of the Defense Forces.

"Military units and subdivisions of the 19th Army Corps of the ʼEastʼ continue the defensive operation at designated lines within the settlement and on the approaches to it," the spokesman for the General Staff added.

At the same time, he noted that Russian troops are not giving up attempts to capture Kostyantynivka. There are cases of infiltration of small infantry groups into the city. Counter-sabotage operations by the Defense Forces are ongoing there.

"This is not the first time that the enemy has resorted to the spread of outright disinformation and fakes by the highest officials. Ukrainian defenders continue to hold positions at designated lines. The situation remains difficult, but is under the control of the Defense Forces of Ukraine," said Kovalyov.

The "East" group of troops also assured that Kostyantynivka is controlled by units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, and constant clashes are ongoing in some urban areas.

The Kremlinʼs statements were called "another example of lies and a despicable attempt by the Russian leadership to portray at least some successes and justify the failure of its operational-strategic plans and the disproportionately large losses of personnel in the Russian army".

President Volodymyr Zelensky also reacted to Putinʼs statement about the alleged occupation of Kostyantynivka. He called it "another Russian lie to make some news".

"If Kostyantynivka is now under Russian control, then Putin probably wonʼt have a problem meeting with me there and finding diplomatic solutions to finally end the war. But still, he wonʼt cross the front: the truth is very different from Putinʼs words," Zelensky wrote.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.