Russian military forces are gradually advancing into the strategic city of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region as of late June 2026, triggering close-quarters fighting on the outskirts.
Ukrainian forces have responded by launching extensive counter-logistics strikes to disrupt Russian supply lines.
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The slow Russian advance contrasts with a largely stalled 1,200-kilometer front, where Ukraine has begun recapturing more territory than it loses, according to open-source intelligence analysts.
Data from May 2026 shows that despite a 37.5 percent increase in Russian assaults, Moscow managed to occupy only 14 square kilometers across Ukraine during that month.
A severe manpower advantage allows Moscow to sustain pressure on Kostiantynivka, a critical node in Ukraine's fortress belt.
The civilian population has plummeted from 70,000 to approximately 2,000 residents.
The Institute for the Study of War reported that while the situation is deteriorating for Ukraine, the Russian infiltrations have not yet yielded a rapid breakthrough.
Ukrainian Strikes Disrupt Russian Logistics
Ukrainian forces have intensified medium-range and long-range strike campaigns to systematically degrade Russian supply lines.
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These operations have targeted the land corridor to Crimea, causing fuel shortages on the peninsula.
The Russian government has halted local fuel sales, increased gasoline supplies from Belarus, and implemented emergency export bans on aviation kerosene and diesel.
Deep-strike operations have also expanded into mainland Russia.
The deployment of six times more long-range drones in 2025 compared to 2024 knocked out roughly 20 percent of Russia's oil refining capacity.
In June 2026, a massive drone assault targeted critical energy infrastructure, including the Moscow oil refinery, forcing a temporary suspension of operations and hundreds of flight cancellations across four major Moscow airports.
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Kremlin-controlled media and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference campaigns have consistently sought to exaggerate battlefield victories to domestic audiences, repeatedly claiming the total capture of cities like Kupyansk and Mala Tokmachka that remain under firm Ukrainian defensive control.
