"All of Kostiantynivka today is a grey zone." What is happening now in the key front-line city in Donbas

Destroyed houses in Kostiantynivka. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defence

The Russian Ministry of Defence states that its troops are actively advancing in the southwestern part of Kostiantynivka, where they allegedly encircled several units of Ukrainian brigades.

Moscow also claims that Russian forces have captured the villages of Rubizhne and Dovha Balka to the west of the city and are now attempting to outflank Kostiantynivka to reach Druzhkivka and cut off supply routes to Kramatorsk — a key logistical hub for Ukrainian forces in Donbas.

In a written comment for the BBC, Brigadier General Oleksandr Bakulin, commander of the 19th Corps of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, who coordinates the defense of the area, categorically denied information about the encirclement of Ukrainian units.

According to him, "the situation in the area remains controlled," and "the enemy has no success." At the same time, the general admitted that about 130 Russian servicemen are present in the city itself.

Kostiantynivka serves as a kind of gateway to the part of Donbas that still remains under Ukraine's control. Its loss would effectively mean the beginning of the battle for the last major Ukrainian strongholds in the region — Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

"All of Kostiantynivka today is a grey zone"

The BBC spoke with three Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen whose units are defending the Kostiantynivka area. According to them, the real situation in the city is not as catastrophic as described by the Russian side, but significantly more complicated than suggested by official statements from the Ukrainian command. At their request, journalists are not revealing their names and personal data.

The servicemen report that Russian infantry, advancing from the south and east, have already been spotted on the northern outskirts of the city — near the exit to Druzhkivka.

"They pass into the rear, and we have to, straining all our forces, smoke them out of their hiding places and catch them. In urban conditions, this is much more difficult," says a drone operator.

At the same time, he emphasizes that the mere appearance of Russian infantry in different parts of the city does not yet mean its capture.

"The fact that the infantry has passed half of Kostiantynivka does not mean that they control it. We are destroying them. This is what is called a 'grey zone.' And one can say that today all of Kostiantynivka is in such a zone."

However, all of the BBC's interlocutors note that Russian forces continue to infiltrate the city and accumulate forces in new positions.

Small group tactics

In conditions where drones control almost all movement on the front line and quickly attack any detected target in the so-called "kill zone," Russian military personnel are increasingly using small group tactics. This forces the Ukrainian Armed Forces to expend even more resources on containing such offensive operations.

"They enter one by one or in pairs, occupy hiding places, and then their main goal is not to reveal themselves," explains an officer of the unit defending the Kostiantynivka area. "From their hiding places, they report on enemy movements."

It was precisely this tactic that allowed Russian assault troops to reach the greenhouse area on the southern outskirts of Kostiantynivka and gradually infiltrate deeper.

The intensity of assaults sharply increased since late spring. Leaves on trees helped Russian assault troops hide from drones. And once they reached the city limits, they could hide in house basements, from where it is very difficult for Ukrainian drone crews to dislodge them.

Ultimately, the pace of advance remains very slow.

"In a day, they can advance less than a hundred meters. Sometimes they literally crawl from one building to another. There were cases when they tried to move along a riverbed — we called them 'divers'," says the officer.

Within the city limits, Russian soldiers move exclusively on foot. According to Ukrainian servicemen, their equipment level varies greatly: one can encounter an infantryman without a bulletproof vest, helmet, or even a weapon, and another fully equipped, with a backpack and all necessary provisions.

Павялічыць

The Russian Ministry of Defence published a photo, allegedly of Russian servicemen in Kostiantynivka

Hunting for UAV operators

According to BBC sources, Ukrainian assault groups, infantry, and drone system crews remain in Kostiantynivka. However, their positions are increasingly being detected and attacked. The main target for Russian drone operators today has become Ukrainian UAV crews.

"Enemy crews do not engage in searching for and destroying infantry, as we do. Their artillery, MLRS (multiple launch rocket systems), and aviation handle that," explains the operator.

For Ukrainian drone teams, the main task remains to contain breakthroughs by Russian infantry and assault troops. Sleep is often limited to only three to four hours a day. Due to a lack of resources, particularly personnel, Ukrainian UAV groups cannot systematically hunt Russian drone operators. As a result, the latter have the opportunity to work calmly, detect the positions of Ukrainian crews, and strike them.

Due to the high intensity of flights, warehouses, antennas, command posts, and drone launch sites are usually located close to each other. Having detected one such object, Russian troops often strike neighboring buildings as well, using, in particular, guided aerial bombs (KAB) and FPV drones.

Under such conditions, supplying units has become an extremely difficult task. Almost no ground routes for deliveries remain, and large drones like Vampire, used for delivering cargo to the front line, are often intercepted in the air. As a result, Ukrainian units are forced to use FPV drones even for delivering food and essential items to infantrymen in their positions.

This is accompanied by Ukraine continuing to strike Russian logistics. Thanks to medium-range attacks, it has recently become significantly more difficult to supply fuel to occupied Crimea (since June 21, fuel sales at gas stations there have been halted for everyone except state services). Strikes on oil refineries create serious problems for Russian authorities, so successes on the front and the capture of Kostiantynivka could become a way for the Kremlin to shift attention to military achievements.

Battle for the key city of Donbas

To capture Kostiantynivka, Russia is employing a familiar tactic previously used near Pokrovsk, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka. Its goal is to outflank the city, encircle it, and cut off logistical routes.

Analysts from the Ukrainian project DeepState believe that the fall of Kostiantynivka is only a matter of time. According to their assessment, after this, the logistics of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the area will change dramatically, and even being in Kramatorsk will be associated with increased risks due to the work of Russian drone operators.

One of the servicemen also spoke about a severe shortage of personnel. Replenishments arrive slower than the brigade incurs losses. Commanders do not always report the loss of positions, as they might then receive an order to immediately regain them, and there are catastrophically few people for assaults.

Ultimately, the drone operator is convinced that the situation can still be stabilized if Kostiantynivka receives the necessary reinforcements:

"If we don't change our approach, don't start destroying their logistics and their drone operators, then they will continue to advance."

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