Zelenskyy calls Russian claim of capturing town a 'lie'

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vehemently denied Russian assertions that the Ukrainian town of Kostyantynivka in the Donbas region has been captured. The denial comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared on television in military attire, claiming his forces had taken control of the town.

"Putin claims that Russian forces have allegedly captured Kostyantynivka in Donbas. That is, of course, not true. This is just another Russian lie," Zelenskyy stated on social media. He added that if Kostyantynivka were under Russian control, Putin might be more amenable to meeting him to find a diplomatic solution to end the war.

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Putin claims that Russian forces have allegedly captured Kostyantynivka in Donbas. That is, of course, not true. This is just another Russian lie.

Russian forces have been attempting to seize Kostyantynivka, a town with a pre-war population of approximately 78,000, for months. Andriy Kovalov, a Ukrainian military spokesperson, acknowledged that Russian units had made advances and infiltrated the town in small groups. Kovalov reported that 11 Russian assaults on the town on the previous day were unsuccessful in achieving their objectives. He maintained that Ukrainian defenders are holding their positions along designated defensive lines, describing the situation as difficult but under control.

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If Kostyantynivka were under Russian control, then perhaps Putin would not mind meeting me there to find a diplomatic way to finally end this war.