a key stronghold for Kyiv's troops. Ukrainian army spokesman Andriy Kovalyov confirmed the city remains under Ukrainian control, while President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Moscow's announcement as "just another Russian lie."

Russian President Vladimir Putin had appeared in military uniform Friday to thank troops for seizing Kostyantynivka, a pre-war town of 78,000 that Moscow has sought to capture for months. Russia has been using small infiltration groups—the same tactic that led to the capture of Pokrovsk in late 2025. Kostyantynivka is one of the last obstacles on the route to Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the Kremlin's ultimate targets in the Donbas.

Kovalyov admitted small Russian groups had infiltrated the town but insisted fighting continued. Moscow's defense ministry countered that Russian troops occupy the town from southern to northern outskirts. Zelensky challenged Putin to meet him in Kostyantynivka for peace talks, but Putin has repeatedly refused negotiations, vowing to capture the rest of eastern Ukraine by force. Russia's defense ministry proposed a humanitarian operation Monday to exchange bodies of killed soldiers.

Meanwhile, Russian officials reported Ukrainian drone strikes hit an oil terminal in Saint Petersburg, a port near the Finnish border, and the Peterhof palace complex—though without damage. Moscow said it downed nearly 500 drones and 10 Flamingo missiles overnight. The attack came after a Russian strike on Kyiv this week killed 30 people.

Zelensky claimed Ukraine struck the Kronstadt naval base in Saint Petersburg. Ukraine has intensified strikes deep inside Russian territory to retaliate against Moscow's offensive and pressure Russia toward negotiations. Both Zelensky and Putin spoke separately with U.S. President Donald Trump about the conflict ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara. Zelensky expressed hope that with American resolve, there is a "real prospect" to end the war—now more than four years old and Europe's worst since World War II. (Bssnews)