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AzerNEWS Staff

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Russia's claim that its forces have captured the strategic eastern town of Kostyantynivka, saying fierce fighting is still under way as Moscow prepares for a new wave of attacks ahead of this week's NATO summit in Türkiye, AzerNEWS reports, citing France24.

In his nightly address on Sunday, Zelensky said Ukrainian troops continued to defend the town in the Donetsk region, contradicting the Kremlin's earlier announcement that Russian forces had taken control of the settlement.

"Fighting is also continuing for Kostyantynivka, which Putin has already claimed as his own, but it is obvious that he will never dare to appear there," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian leader accused Russia of attempting to create a false impression of battlefield success while combat continues around one of the region's most strategically important locations. Before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Kostyantynivka was home to around 78,000 people and serves as a key logistics hub on the approach to other Ukrainian-held cities in the Donetsk region.

Moscow announced earlier this week that its forces had captured the town, a claim Kyiv immediately rejected as disinformation, insisting Ukrainian troops remain engaged in active combat there.

Zelensky also warned that Russian forces were preparing a fresh large-scale offensive in the coming days, coinciding with this week's NATO summit in Türkiye. He suggested Moscow could intensify its military campaign in an attempt to influence international attention and diplomatic discussions surrounding the conflict.

The Ukrainian president is expected to attend the summit, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump for talks focused on the war, military assistance and broader security cooperation.

The battle for Kostyantynivka forms part of Russia's broader offensive in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow has continued to press attacks in an effort to secure full control of the Donetsk region despite heavy resistance from Ukrainian forces.