Zelenskyy invites Putin to meeting in 'occupied' Kostiantynivka

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to meet him in person in the city of Kostiantynivka, located in Donetsk Oblast. This move follows Putin's claim that Russian forces have captured the city, a statement that Ukraine has firmly denied.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Zelenskyy accused Putin of lying about the situation on the front line, particularly on the eve of America's Independence Day. He emphasized that the Russian leader's assertions about taking Kostiantynivka are false and amount to an attempt to generate a news story.

"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. But the fact is, he won't cross the front line – reality is very different from Putin's words," Zelenskyy said.

Earlier, Vladimir Putin had claimed that Russian forces had "captured" Kostiantynivka. Ukraine's General Staff later denied reports of the town's occupation. Meanwhile, the military analysis group DeepState reported that Russian troops have reached the outskirts of Kostiantynivka from multiple directions and continue to infiltrate the city.