Donetsk Oblast city ‘on brink of humanitarian catastrophe,’ governor says as drones cripple infrastructure

The front-line city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast is facing a looming “humanitarian catastrophe” as ongoing Russian strikes destroy critical infrastructure and leave thousands without basic services, Governor Vadym Filashkin said on June 25.

Kostiantynivka, in eastern Donetsk Oblast, lies just 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) from several areas currently occupied by Russian forces, according to battlefield mapping site DeepState. The city has come under intensified attack in recent months as Moscow pushes westward beyond its gains around other nearby towns.

According to Filashkin, nearly half the city is without electricity due to shelling, and 1,900 households in the Santurynivka district have no access to gas, with restoration currently impossible. Water is supplied just once a day from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., meeting only 20–25% of the city’s needs.

Drone strikes have halted all city bus operations, while the suburban route to Druzhkivka, a nearby town, is operating on a limited basis, Filashkin said.

Yevhen Alkhimov, press officer of Ukraine’s 28th Mechanized Brigade, which is fighting near Kostiantynivka, told the Kyiv Independent that “the greatest danger at the moment comes from first person view (FPV) drones, including fiber optic models."

“The enemy is trying to control all logistics and communication routes,” he said, adding: “The Russians’ goal right now is not so much to destroy the city as it is to make it unsuitable for defense by controlling all the roads."

Alkhimov said Russian forces were deliberately targeting vehicles including civilian buses.

“They are trying to fully control all movement in the city using their drones,” he said.

Authorities have installed seven large water tanks and 11 smaller containers throughout the city, in addition to 12 wells, six of which are equipped with filtration systems. Five “Points of Invincibility," Ukraine’s emergency support hubs, are operational, with two more on standby.

Despite the risks, emergency crews, doctors, utility workers, and local officials continue to work in the city.

“Civilians still remain in the city, and life is becoming more and more difficult for them,” Alkhimov said.

“There are fewer people left, the curfew is now longer, but nonetheless, people are still there, and it is truly very dangerous for them to stay in the city."

Filashkin urged those still in the city to evacuate.

Russia has intensified its offensive in eastern Ukraine while insisting that any peace negotiations must recognize its claimed annexation of four Ukrainian oblasts and Crimea. Russian forces do not fully control any of the four regions it seeks to claim.

Ukraine has ruled out ceding its territory as part of any peace agreement.

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