Russia appears to infiltrate first ‘fortress city’ as Ukraine changes guard

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Russian forces appear to be pressing deeper into Kostiantynivka, a strategically important city in Ukraine’s Donetsk region and one of the so-called “fortress cities” that Moscow has said it wants to capture. The article says front-line reports suggest Russian troops have infiltrated much of the city or are effectively cutting it off, although Ukrainian accounts on the ground still describe intense fighting and continuing resistance in parts of Kostiantynivka.

The report comes as Ukraine has reshuffled senior military and defence leadership, following the firing of defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov and commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskii within a week, according to the article. Al Jazeera says the change in command follows a period of pressure along multiple fronts, including in Donetsk, Sumy and Kharkiv, where Russia has claimed new advances. The outlet notes that it could not independently verify the Russian battlefield claims.

The piece also places the fighting in a wider wartime context. It says Russian forces have been trying to regain the offensive after a slower period of gains, while Ukraine continues to target Russian energy and military infrastructure with long-range strikes. The report highlights that control over Kostiantynivka matters because of its role in defending the remaining Ukrainian-held territory in Donetsk, making the city a significant objective in the broader war effort.