Ukrainian General Staff: Putin denies claims that he occupied Kostyantynivka

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin's statements regarding the settlement of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region being occupied by Russian soldiers do not reflect reality. In a statement to the Ukrayinska Pravda newspaper, Andriy Kovalov, the Chief Spokesperson for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, emphasized that the Kremlin leader's claims were completely unfounded and inconsistent with the actual situation on the battlefield. Kovalov shared technical data proving that the city remains under Ukrainian control, noting that this was an instance of misinformation and a psychological operation. It was highlighted that this misleading attempt might be an effort by Russia to cover up its real military failures.

Spokesperson Kovalov referred to data from the 'Dzvin' automated system of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's Operational Command Center and the DELTA system to confirm that the city is under the control of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. It was stated that these modern technological surveillance systems definitively show that Kostyantynivka has not fallen into the hands of Russian forces in any way. Additionally, it was expressed that military units attached to the 'East' operational group continue their defense activities uninterruptedly inside and in the outskirts of the city. It was suggested that these digital tools used to monitor the current situation are immune to data manipulation and reflect the truth.

However, the statements by the Ukrainian General Staff did not mention only positive developments; it was also admitted that the situation on the ground in and around Kostyantynivka is complex. Spokesperson Kovalov reported that pro-Russian small infantry groups were attempting to infiltrate the city, and Ukrainian forces were constantly conducting counter-raid and ambush operations against these groups within the city. Such infiltration attempts were characterized as local clashes continuing in the form of guerrilla tactics rather than the city completely passing under enemy control.

Continuing his speech, Andriy Kovalov announced that the Russian Army had launched 11 different attack attempts in the relevant operational direction since July 3, but failed to achieve military success in any of them. He argued that the Russian side was trying to compensate for the success they could not achieve on the military field by spreading fake news in the information war and in statements by the highest-level officials. This situation indicates the ongoing conflict environment for Russia both on the field and in the information domain, and it was stated that Putin's statements should be evaluated in this context.

The General Staff Spokesperson concluded his remarks by emphasizing that Ukrainian military units managed to firmly maintain the designated boundary lines and that the situation is fully under control despite the harsh conditions on the ground. Information was provided that the integrity of the defense lines in the city was preserved and operations in the region were conducted under Ukrainian command. It was reiterated once again that Putin's previous statement of 'Kostyantynivka has been taken' contradicted both military data and reports from commanders on the ground in light of these realities.