KIEV, July 4 — Ukraine’s General Staff on Saturday rejected Russia’s statement that Russian forces had taken control of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk region, saying the city remains under Ukrainian control.
Andriy Kovaliov, spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said information claiming that Russian troops had captured Konstantinovka “does not correspond to reality.”
Based on data from Ukraine’s operational monitoring systems, Konstantinovka remains under the control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, he said, adding that Ukrainian units continue defensive operations in the city and on its outskirts.
He said Russian forces are continuing their attempts to seize the city, with small infantry groups infiltrating deep into Ukrainian defensive positions.
Ukrainian forces are conducting counter-sabotage operations in the city to detect and eliminate the infiltrating units.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russian forces had taken control of Konstantinovka, describing its capture as “a key step toward the liberation of the Donetsk region.”(Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
