The Russian Ministry of Defense has proposed a temporary, localized ceasefire with Ukrainian forces in the contested Donetsk region city of Kostiantynivka, ostensibly to facilitate the transfer of the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
Russia proposes that Ukraine declares a ceasefire in Kostiantynivka
According to statements circulated by Russian state media on Sunday, July 5, Moscow has proposed halting hostilities in the settlement from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time on Monday, July 6. The Russian ministry stipulated that Ukraine must provide an official response to the ceasefire proposal by 11:00 a.m. on July 5.
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“The Russian side is ready to conduct a humanitarian action to transfer the bodies of dead Ukrainian servicemen in this populated area,” the Russian defense ministry statement read, proposing that the Ukrainian side cease firing on the city during the specified six-hour window.
The ceasefire proposal closely follows a wave of Russian state media reports asserting complete control over Kostiantynivka. Both Ukrainian military officials and independent analysts have strongly refuted these claims, characterizing them as a deliberate disinformation campaign.
On Saturday, the 19th Army Corps of the Ukrainian Ground Forces released video footage filmed in various districts of Kostiantynivka to demonstrate that the city remains firmly under Ukrainian control. The military described the Russian claims of capture as an “information fake” designed to create an illusion of success to mask heavy personnel losses and tactical failures.
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“The enemy does not stop attempts at infiltration and advancement by individual groups, but such actions are detected in a timely manner, and the enemy is systematically destroyed by Ukrainian defenders,” the 19th Army Corps stated, urging the public to rely exclusively on official, verified information.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also contradicted the Russian declarations of control. In a recent assessment, the think tank reported that the Russian military presence within Kostiantynivka is not indicative of a captured city, but is instead limited to small, dispersed sabotage and reconnaissance groups operating near Ukrainian defensive positions.
Russia’s statement on the capture of Kostiantynivka
Late in the evening on July 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov, other high-ranking Russian commanders, and announced the capture of Kostiantynivka, the “liberation” of Luhansk region, and “significant advances” by the occupying forces in Donetsk region.
On July 4, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Eastern Military Group also refuted Putin’s statements. Ukrainian forces continue to defend Kostiantynivka and are striking at enemy forces seeping into the city Zelensky called the claims about the capture of Kostiantynivka a lie.
“If Kostiantynivka is currently under Russian control, then Putin would presumably have no problem meeting with me there and finding diplomatic solutions to finally end the war. But he still won’t cross the front lines: the truth is very different from what Putin says,” Zelensky wrote on social media.
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