Ukraine Denies Moscow’s Claims on Kostyantynivka: “False Claims” About Capturing the Strategic City

Ukraine has disputed Russia’s claims that its troops have taken control of Kostyantynivka, a city in the east of the country.

This urban center is seen as an important hub of Ukrainian defense on the route leading toward the last major centers of Donbas that remain under Kyiv’s administration.

“We deny it. These are false claims,” an official from Ukraine’s General Staff said, rejecting the announcement made by Moscow.

A day earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said that Kostyantynivka had been “fully occupied” and that the city was already under the control of Russian forces. According to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin had also held talks with military command about the situation on the front line.

At the same time, Russian authorities announced that overnight St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region were hit by a major Ukrainian drone attack.

St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said the city of around six million residents had been targeted by a “large-scale” attack, without giving details about the sites affected. However, local media reported that a fire broke out at the city’s oil terminal after the attack.

Meanwhile, Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said the drones had also targeted the port of Vysotsk, about 170 kilometers from St. Petersburg, on the Gulf of Finland. The port is used for exporting oil, grain, coal and liquefied natural gas.

According to Drozdenko, Russian air defense shot down 72 drones over the Leningrad region.