Russian troops have achieved a decisive breakthrough in the Konstantinovka direction, repelling the Armed Forces of Ukraine from multiple settlements and trapping a large Ukrainian garrison in a rapidly shrinking pocket. After securing Gnatovka and Staraya Nikolaevka (Pravdovka), Russian assault units are now mopping up resistance in Zarya, while advancing toward Aleksandro-Kalinovo and Katerinovka, encircling large Ukrainian forces.
The offensive, spearheaded by the Russian Southern Group of Forces, has shattered Kyiv’s defensive lines east of Konstantinovka. Russian troops first secured their full control of Romanovka, cutting off Ukrainian supply routes. Their victory was officially confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry on May 25th.
According to the latest reports from the battlefield, after fierce fighting, Russian troops took control of Ignatovka and Staraya Nikolaevka, where up to 150 Ukrainian soldiers abandoned by their command were trapped in a cauldron. According to Ukrainian sources, officers refused to order a retreat, fearing court-martial, leaving their soldiers stranded.
With Russian forces now controlling about 90% of Zarya village, the remaining Ukrainian troops in the pocket face annihilation unless they surrender.
Civilians welcome Russian soldiers in Zarya:
Russian forces are now advancing from multiple directions to seal off the escape routes:
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From Romanovka, troops are pushing north toward Aleksandro-Kalinovo, threatening to cut the last road out.
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From Zarya, assault units are destroying Ukrainian resistance before linking up with advancing columns.
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Further west, Russian troops are pressuring Yablonevka, widening the offensive front to 27 km—stretching from Novaya Poltavka to Dyleevka.
Ukrainian attempts to counterattack with reserves, have failed to halt the Russian advance. With no prepared defensive lines, Kyiv’s forces are in chaotic retreat, abandoning equipment and wounded soldiers.
The fall of Zarya and Aleksandro-Kalinovo will grant Russian forces with fire control of Konstantinovka, a critical Ukrainian logistics hub. Meanwhile, Russian artillery and drones are systematically targeting Ukrainian reinforcements, with reports of entire convoys destroyed near Chasov Yar as Kyiv scrambles to redeploy troops.
The Konstantinovka offensive has exposed catastrophic command failures in the Ukrainian army, where political fear overrides battlefield logic. With Russian forces now dominating the axis, the remaining Ukrainian troops in the pocket face a grim choice: surrender or die.