Russian troops are inching towards the city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, trying ​to establish a foothold close to a heavily defended area, ‌Ukraine’s top army official said on Saturday (May 2, 2026).

Kostiantynivka, ​along with other cities, forms a so-called fortress ⁠belt in the country’s east – an area well fortified by the Ukrainian military.