Russia says Ukraine rejects local ceasefire in dispute over Kostiantynivka

Russia's Defense Ministry accused Ukraine on Sunday of refusing a proposed six-hour ceasefire to allow for the handover of fallen Ukrainian soldiers' bodies from the eastern city of Kostiantynivka. The ministry claimed it had offered the ceasefire for Monday and given Kyiv a deadline to respond.

This accusation is the latest exchange in the ongoing dispute over Kostiantynivka. Russia had previously stated its forces had taken control of the city, a key objective in its push through the Donetsk region. Ukraine, however, denied the city had fallen, asserting its troops remained in control.

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Of course, that is not true. It is just another Russian lie, an attempt to generate some kind of a news story.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the Russian claim as "another Russian lie." He suggested that if Kostiantynivka were under Russian control, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have no issue meeting him there to find a diplomatic solution to the war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mocked Zelenskyy's suggestion, stating Kostiantynivka was already Russian territory and reiterating an earlier invitation for Zelenskyy to meet Putin in Moscow.

In separate developments, Russian officials reported that one person was killed and two injured in a Ukrainian attack on Russian-occupied Crimea early Sunday. The reports came after Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and former U.S. President Donald Trump discussed ending the war. Trump reportedly offered to help find a solution, with a senior U.S. official confirming Trump would meet Zelenskyy to discuss ending the conflict.

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If Kostiantynivka were under Russian control, then perhaps Putin would have no problem meeting me there to find a diplomatic way to finally end this war.