The Ukrainian Army General Staff denied Russia's claim that its forces had captured Kostyantynivka, in eastern Ukraine, a strategically important city in the Donetsk region.

“We refute this. These are yet more false claims,” said an official from the Ukrainian General Staff.

Kostiantynivka is a fortified position held by Ukrainian forces and lies on the road leading to the last major cities in the Donbas that remain under Ukrainian control.

For its part, Moscow claimed that the city has come under full Russian control. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that “Kostiantynivka has been fully captured,” adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the development by military officials. The Russian Ministry of Defense had announced that its forces had captured the city, which Moscow considers a critical target in its advance into the Donetsk region.

Drone Attack in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region

Meanwhile, authorities in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region announced that the area was the target of a major Ukrainian drone attack overnight.

The governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov, reported that the city, with a population of about six million, was hit by a “large-scale” attack involving unmanned aerial vehicles, without providing details on the targets. The local media outlet Bumaga reported that a fire broke out at the city’s oil terminal.

The governor of the Leningrad Region, Alexander Drozdenko, stated that drones struck the port of Vysotsk, on the Gulf of Finland, approximately 170 kilometers northwest of St. Petersburg. The port handles exports of oil, grain, coal, and liquefied natural gas. According to him, 72 drones were shot down over the Leningrad Region.

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, seeking to limit the resources funding the Russian war effort. Among the targets of previous attacks were facilities in Vysotsk, where a fire at an oil terminal was reported in April.

Source: ertnews.gr