The last frontier: what is the strategic importance of Konstantinovka in the DPR
Konstantinovka is one of the major industrial centers of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and an important transport hub in the region. On July 2, 2026, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the almost complete liberation of the settlement from the formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). About where the city is located, what it is known for and what its strategic importance is in the Izvestia material.
Where is Konstantinovka located and what is it known for
Konstantinovka is one of the largest industrial centers of the Donetsk People's Republic. Administratively, it belongs to the Kramatorsk district of the DPR and, together with neighboring cities, forms the Kramatorsk-Konstantinovskaya agglomeration.
The city is located 55 km from Donetsk on the Krivoy Torets River, a tributary of the Kazennyi Torets. It is divided into two parts — the left bank (from the south) and the right bank (from the north). Until recently, it was the seventh largest city in the region. At the beginning of 2022, its population was about 80 thousand people.
The history of the city begins in the first half of the 19th century, when Panteleimon Nomikosov, a native of Greece, a participant in the Patriotic War of 1812, founded the village of Santurinovka on this territory — in honor of the Greek island of Santorini. Later, the village of Konstantinovka appeared nearby. It got its name from the name of the military heir, Konstantin Nomikosov, who, according to some sources, was a classmate of Lermontov.
Later, a city grew out of these two settlements. In 1869, the Konstantinovka railway station appeared here, which today is a major railway hub. The Konstantinovka – Yasinovataya and Slavyansk–Gorlovka lines pass through it.
Regional roads also pass through the city, connecting Alchevsk, Pokrovsk, Gorlovka and a number of other settlements.
How were the battles for Konstantinovka fought?
Since the beginning of the special military operation, Konstantinovka has remained under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. By the end of 2024, the line of contact was about 30-40 km from the city. The situation began to change in the spring of 2025, when Russian forces reached the Kleban-Byk reservoir, an artificial reservoir in the Volodarsky municipal district of the DPR, actually approaching the city limits.
As the Russian troops advanced, Konstantinovka began to be regularly shelled by the enemy. Most businesses and city services stopped working, and the population was rapidly declining. By the fall of 2025, no more than 6 thousand people remained in the city.
In early November, the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, announced the beginning of hostilities for the city. Units of the Southern Group of Forces occupied the village of Ivanopolye, located 7 km from Konstantinovka, and were able to advance in the southeastern districts of the city. By the end of the year, more than 50% of the city's territory had already passed under the control of Russian troops.
In January 2026, it was reported that the Russian army had cut off the main logistics hubs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Konstantinovka. The main fighting in that period shifted to the area of the railway station.
In June, the southern side of the settlement was liberated. Later, the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, said that the cleansing of residential areas in Konstantinovka was continuing and the destruction of disparate groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) was underway. He also said that an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army had been destroyed in the south-west of the city, which made the logistics of the enemy extremely difficult.
The deterioration of the situation of the Ukrainian units in Konstantinovka was also noted by the French newspaper Le Monde. The publication stated that after the liberation of Konstantinovka, the supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine would be seriously disrupted. This, as the newspaper wrote, will create critical difficulties for maneuvers and make the continued presence of Ukrainian formations in the region extremely dangerous.
On June 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that a significant part of Konstantinovka was under the control of the Russian army.
"96% of the city is in our hands," the head of state said, answering questions from Vesti journalist Pavel Zarubin.
The strategic importance of Konstantinovka
According to Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Konstantinovka is considered as one of the key frontiers, control of which opens the way to the last stronghold of Kiev forces in Donbass. The capture of this settlement, as noted, can significantly accelerate the end of hostilities in the region.
Military expert Vasily Dandykin, in a conversation with Izvestia, noted that the establishment of control over Konstantinovka could open the further advance of Russian troops towards Kramatorsk, and then Slavyansk.
At the same time, military expert Alexei Leonkov explained in an interview with Izvestia, even at an early stage of its military operation, when Russian troops came close to Slavyansk, the Ukrainian command realized the vulnerability of this area and took measures to strengthen the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk agglomeration. According to him, fortification work there was carried out continuously throughout 2023.
It was possible to achieve success in liberating the city thanks to a well-developed assault plan. According to the commander of the 1194th motorized Rifle regiment of the South group of forces with the call sign Rusich, before the start of the active phase, a thorough reconnaissance was carried out and a combination of diversionary maneuvers was thought out.
The training of military personnel was of great importance, which was especially important in the conditions of fighting in a densely populated city. The commander called the breakthrough of the enemy's first line of defense the most difficult stage of the assault.
In early July, the commander of the reconnaissance and strike division of the 238th Artillery Brigade of the Southern Group of Forces with the call sign Kuban said that one of the main tasks was, first of all, to destroy drone control points and supply routes.
He also said that the Russian army continues to destroy any enemy equipment that approaches Konstantinovka.
The head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, in turn, noted that Russian units conduct round-the-clock reconnaissance, so the enemy has virtually no chance of breaking through or leaving the city in an organized manner.
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