For hours today, Kostyantynivka endured merciless Russian bombardment—a once-bustling city in Donetsk Oblast now scarred and shaken. More than 20 residential buildings were damaged, gas infrastructure crippled, and the last postal lifeline cut. Roughly 6,800 residents remain, holding on as the city edges closer to catastrophe.

Kostyantynivka is not just another dot on the map. It anchors the southern approach to the Donbas fortress belt—Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, Pokrovsk. These cities together form Ukraine’s eastern bastion. If Kostyantynivka falls, the defensive ring could be flanked, leaving the heart of the Donbas vulnerable.

The warning signs are familiar. Mariupol, Bakhmut, Marinka, Avdiivka, Popasna—all were battered into ruins before Russian troops claimed them. Kostyantynivka is not yet rubble. But the smoke and broken glass already foreshadow that grim possibility.

Shelling erodes daily life

The bombardment lasted for hours. FPV drones and FAB-250 bombs smashed into residential neighborhoods, ripping through apartments, private homes, and civic buildings. Local officials counted more than 20 apartment blocks among the wreckage.

One of the most devastating strikes hit the gas distribution station, collapsing pressure in the system and plunging the city into a total gas blackout. Donetskoblgaz, the regional gas distribution company, confirmed repairs were impossible under current conditions, citing security risks for its crews.

“Restoration of gas supply is not possible at this time,” the company stated.

Life without gas—no heating, no cooking—leaves residents more exposed, forced to adapt to survival conditions while bombardment continues overhead.

Postal lifeline severed

As Russian forces edged closer, even the last traces of civil infrastructure disappeared. Kostyantynivka’s last Ukrposhta branch closed its doors, ending pensions and parcel services in the city.

“For a long time, we were the only ones here—no banks, no competitors, just Ukrposhta, supporting thousands. But it became too dangerous to stay,” CEO Ihor Smilianskyi explained.

The nearest branches are now in Druzhkivka and Olexievo-Druzhkivka, 5–7 km away—a distance that, under fire, can feel insurmountable.

Population hollowing out

Kostyantynivka once held nearly 15,000 residents. Today, fewer than 7,000 remain. Many are elderly or families unable to evacuate. Streets are quiet, windows are boarded, and shops shuttered.

The city is not yet destroyed like Mariupol or Avdiivka. But depopulation is already hollowing it out—a silent erosion that makes the devastation feel inevitable.

Russian push near Dobropillya—repelled, for now

The crisis around Kostyantynivka is compounded by Russian pressure further west. Near Dobropillya, Moscow launched a thrust, carving a salient toward Pokrovsk. For a moment, Ukrainian defenses bent under pressure.

But Ukraine hit back. The 1st Azov Corps led a counterattack that wiped out Russia’s 132nd Motor Rifle Brigade in a 16-day fight. Reinforcements from Ukrainian air assault, marine, and mechanized brigades stabilized the sector.

Still, the battle is far from over. As analyst David Axe observed, Russia is funneling fresh units, and momentum shifts quickly:

“Neither side can seize the initiative for long.”

Pokrovsk on the brink

Further west, Pokrovsk—the southernmost anchor of the Donbas fortress belt—is under threat of encirclement. Russian advances north and south aim to sever supply routes and trap the city. Its fall would not only endanger tens of thousands still inside—it would unravel Ukraine’s broader defensive belt from the south upward.

Pokrovsk, like Kostyantynivka, is not yet lost. But the pressure is mounting daily.

Syrskyi: “The breakthrough near Dobropillya is crushed”

Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi admitted that Russian troops briefly advanced near Dobropillia, but insists the situation has now been reversed:

“The enemy took advantage of gaps and advanced. But after decisive measures—redeploying forces and clearing villages—their victorious mood turned to despair.”

As for nearby Pokrovsk, Syrskyi emphasized that Ukrainian logistics remain intact, and that reinforcements, counter-attacks, and the advantage of terrain are helping blunt the Russian push—even amid relentless daily assaults.

Moscow’s terms: Donbas for “peace”?

As the battlefield burns, diplomacy shifted to Alaska, where US President Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin. While exact details remain uncertain, reports suggest Putin floated demands for Ukraine to withdraw from Donbas, renounce NATO, and bar Western troops in exchange for a ceasefire.

European officials and Kyiv dismiss the proposals as a trap—an attempt to freeze Russia’s gains while leaving Ukraine exposed to future assaults.

Between rubble and resolve

Kostyantynivka today is without gas, without postal service, and with only part of its pre-war population left. The city is not yet reduced to rubble, but it faces the same risk as Mariupol or Bakhmut if the assaults continue.

General Syrskyi insists that “the front is still holding,” and militarily that may be true. But for ordinary Ukrainians still in Kostyantynivka—living without utilities, services, or certainty—such statements feel distant from their daily reality.

What Russia presents as a path to “peace” already looks different on the ground: damaged homes, disrupted services, and families leaving under fire. Reports on Ukrainian military-linked Telegram channels now place Russian units within about 5 km of the city—evidence that Kostyantynivka has not fallen, but stands on the edge.

Zelenskyy told reporters on 21 August that Russia has captured only a third of Donetsk Oblast since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022. He added that Moscow would need four more years to take the rest of the Donbas by force. 

Russia holds about two-thirds of Donetsk Oblast, but most of it since 2014

Liga reports that Zelenskyy’s comments came during a press meeting. Before discussing Ukraine’s position, Zelenskyy said it is necessary to understand Russia’s intentions. Using Donetsk Oblast as an example, he said he explained the situation during his meeting with US President Donald Trump. According to Zelenskyy, Russia did not seize 69% of Donetsk Oblast after February 2022, as claimed in some assessments, but only about one-third.

He clarified that Russian forces currently control around 67–69% of Donetsk Oblast. That includes territory Russia had already occupied before 2022. Nearly four years of full-scale war produced only marginal gains in the oblast, he said.

Zelenskyy dismissed speculation that Russian troops could take the rest of Donbas by the end of this year. He called such talk baseless and said the Kremlin would need four years more to achieve that objective.

On 12 August, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine’s defense forces would not pull back from Donbas.

A relative of a State Duma deputy from the party of Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has died in the war in Ukraine. According to the pro-Kremlin outlet RBC, Oleksandr Milonov, brother of “United Russia” party’s deputy Vitaly Milonov, serving in Luhansk Oblast has been eliminated by Ukrainian troops.

He had volunteered for reconnaissance with the so-called “LNR”, the Russian-backed entity illegal in Ukraine. 

Death of a relative of a Putin deputy in Donbas

Oleksandr Milonov had been fighting against Ukraine for over a year. During the battles, he was wounded and transferred to medical service, another Russian propaganda outlet Fontanka reports. However, it is reported that his injuries “caused a sudden deterioration in his health.”

Funeral in Saint Petersburg

After being wounded, Milonov was hospitalized, but his condition worsened, and he died. His funeral took place on 19 August at a cemetery in the Pushkin District of Saint Petersburg.

Russia insists on official status for the Russian language and freedom for its Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The New York Times reports that US President Donald Trump will discuss this Russian ruler Vladimir Putin’s demand with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 18 August at the White House. 

European leaders have also been invited to join, officials said, speaking anonymously to discuss private negotiations.

Putin refuses a trilateral meeting

Despite Donald Trump’s hopes to hold a US–Ukraine–Russia trilateral meeting, Putin continues to refuse the proposition, calling Zelenskyy “the illegitimate president of an artificial country.” During a phone call between Trump, Zelenskyy, and European leaders, another demand to cede Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to Russia and security guarantees for Ukraine were discussed.

As of now, Moscow troops control the big part of these two regions but not all the territory. 

Putin’s conditions for ending the war

According to Trump, Putin reportedly demands that all of Donbas be handed over to Russia. In exchange, he is willing to suspend hostilities in other parts of Ukraine – Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, freezing the current frontline, and to provide written assurances not to attack Ukraine or other European countries. Security guarantees for Ukraine after the war are included, but strictly outside the framework of NATO.

This information confirms that Moscow is not abandoning political-religious control and continues to push its ultimatum demands even during negotiations with the US and Europe.

A drone, suicide, a lover, crypto, and a note. On the Toretsk front, aerial scouts from the Khyzhak Brigade of the Patrol Police Department have conducted a unique psychological operation. As a result, one Russian assault soldier shot himself, and another surrendered after a note was dropped by a drone: “Want to live — follow the drone.”

Assault and surrender

It all began when two Russian occupiers moved toward Ukrainian positions.

“Our aerial scouts from the bomber group met them from the sky. Accurate drops — one wounded soldier couldn’t endure and shot himself. The other, barely breathing, raised his hands and begged for mercy,” the brigade reports.

“Rugby Player” from Kazan

The wounded soldier turned out to be 43-year-old Andryukha, a former Russian national rugby team player, with a call sign “Rugby Player.”

According to the fighters, he previously ran a cryptocurrency company but went bankrupt and fell into 6 million rubles of debt. His lover and promises of easy service pushed him to the war, but he was thrown into an assault unit.

He survived because he followed the drone

“Now he says he never wanted to kill Ukrainians and is not eager for an exchange, because he knows that if he returns, the Russians will send him to die again,” the brigade concludes.

Moscow prepares a new strike, but Kyiv will respond asymmetrically. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns that in the coming days, Russia may sharply intensify its attacks, trying to create favorable conditions for negotiations. However, Ukraine is ready to counter the aggressor “asymmetrically, if needed.”

Ukrainian military successes in Donbas

According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Armed Forces units have been achieving success for the second day in a row on the toughest sections of the front, in the areas of Dobropillia and Pokrovsk.

“The destruction of occupiers who tried to infiltrate deep into our positions continues. Ukraine has received important additions to the exchange fund in the form of captured Russian soldiers,” the president states.

Gratitude to heroes and warning to the enemy

The Ukrainian president also praises the combat performance of the 79th and 82nd Air Assault Brigades, the 1st and 425th Assault Regiments, the 25th Battalion, and other units holding the defense in the Pokrovsk direction.

“We are recording the movement and preparations of Russian troops. Of course, we will respond, asymmetrically if needed,” Zelenskyy adds.

Earlier, we reported that the Trump-Putin meeting ended without signing a treaty or ceasefire agreement. At the same time, no sanctions were imposed on Russia or its main partner, China. The red carpet and warm reception for Putin, who launched Russia’s war that has killed 13,800 civilians, including children, sparked outrage around the world.

The Kremlin is considering two scenarios for the upcoming Alaska summit: an agreement without Ukraine or pressure through cutting aid. According to Corriere della Sera, Russian President Vladimir Putin is offering US President Donald Trump a “convenient way out of the situation,” Kremlin foreign policy adviser Dmitry Suslov says.

Scenario 1: Bilateral deal without Ukraine and Europe

The first option envisions adopting a Russia–US ceasefire plan for Ukraine, negotiated exclusively between Moscow and Washington.

The agreement could include:

• Withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the parts of Donbas they still control,
• Withdrawal of Russian forces from Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv oblasts, but keeping the current front line in other areas, 
• Ukraine is committed not to join NATO.

This would mean continued fighting in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

Suslov stressed that renouncing NATO membership is a “mandatory and inevitable condition,” and the final arrangements must include “Ukraine’s demilitarization and constitutional reform toward federalization.”

Scenario 2: Pressure through cutting assistance

Suslov said the second option is that Ukraine and its European partners reject the Kremlin’s proposals. In this case, he suggests Trump could completely end military aid to Kyiv and even halt weapons sales to European countries so they cannot transfer arms to Ukraine.

“This will speed up Ukraine’s defeat and its complete collapse,” he stated.

Suslov believes Trump might take such a step to avoid appearing weak after pressuring Brazil, India, and China to stop importing Russian oil under threat of secondary sanctions.

At the same time, according to the Kremlin adviser, successfully reaching a bilateral deal in Alaska would help ease tensions with China, India, and Brazil and give the US president the chance to claim a “historic achievement.”

Russian forces are pushing near Dobropillia, Donetsk Oblast, but it is premature to call these gains an operational-level breakthrough, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The think tank assesses that Moscow’s troops are likely seeking to turn current tactical advances into a broader push in the coming days.

Russian advances southeast of Dobropillia

ISW reported on 11 August that Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups are operating near Dobropillia, northwest of Pokrovsk. A Ukrainian source said such groups are active in the area. NASA FIRMS satellite data indicated heat anomalies west of Nove Shakhove, in Novyi Donbas, Bilytske, and Rodynske — suggesting artillery fire in these areas.

The think tank assessed that Russian forces likely seized several settlements southeast of Dobropillya, including Razine, Sukhetske, Fedorivka, Zatyshok, Boikivka, Novotoretske, and Zapovidne, as well as Mayak and Pankivka east of Dobropillia. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed its troops took Fedorivka, northeast of Pokrovsk. Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets reported forward Russian assault units and infiltration groups operating near Kucheriv Yar, Nove Shakhove, and Bilytske.

Contested zones and advancing lines

Russian military bloggers claimed Moscow’s forces seized Dorozhnie, advanced north of Zapovidne, south of Bilytske, south of Dorozhnie, west of Shakhove, and southeast of Vilne toward Nove Shakhove. Other claimed gains included areas south of Kucheriv Yar and on the outskirts of Zolotyi Kolodyaz.

One milblogger said Russian forces control about half of Volodymyrivka, south of Shakhove, while Ukrainian troops hold northern Pankivka. The same source claimed Russian troops have interdicted a 2.5-kilometer section of the T-0515 Pokrovsk–Dobropillya highway. Another milblogger described Kucheriv Yar and Zolotyi Kolodyaz as contested “gray zones,” with Russian reconnaissance-in-force missions underway.

ISW sees potential for bigger gains

ISW stressed it is too early to declare these moves an operational-level breakthrough. However, the think tank noted Russian forces may attempt to mature these tactical penetrations into a larger offensive in the coming days, similar to the approach used in mid-April 2024 that led to the seizure of operationally significant territory northwest of Avdiivka.

The institute said the next several days will be critical for Ukraine’s ability to prevent accelerated Russian gains north and northwest of Pokrovsk.