Russia on Sunday accused Ukraine of rejecting a proposed temporary ceasefire around the strategic eastern town of Kostiantynivka that Moscow said was intended to facilitate the handover of the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, even as fresh attacks in Russian-occupied Crimea highlighted the continuing intensity of the war.
The Russian Defence Ministry said it had offered a six-hour humanitarian truce in and around Kostiantynivka on Monday and asked Kyiv to respond by 0900 GMT on Sunday. According to Moscow, the pause in fighting was aimed at allowing the recovery and transfer of the bodies of Ukrainian servicemen.
The dispute comes days after Russian military commanders informed President Vladimir Putin that their forces had captured Kostiantynivka, a key logistics hub in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. Kyiv has categorically rejected the claim, insisting that Ukrainian troops continue to hold the town.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Moscow’s announcement as “just another Russian lie”, while Ukraine’s General Staff reiterated on Sunday that Kostiantynivka remains under Ukrainian control.
The town has long been one of Russia’s principal military objectives in Donetsk, with its capture seen as strategically important for Moscow’s campaign to consolidate control over the region.
The latest disagreement unfolded as fighting continued elsewhere.
Russia-installed authorities in Crimea said one person was killed and two others injured in a Ukrainian attack on the occupied peninsula early Sunday. Regional governor Sergei Aksyonov said the strike targeted northern Crimea but did not provide further details.
Ukraine has intensified long-range attacks on military infrastructure in Crimea in recent weeks as it seeks to disrupt Russian logistics supporting operations in southern Ukraine. Russia annexed the peninsula in 2014, a move rejected by Ukraine and most of the international community.
The military developments coincided with renewed diplomatic contacts involving US President Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy said he spoke to Trump on Saturday, officially to congratulate him on the 250th anniversary of US independence, but the leaders also discussed the battlefield situation and prospects for ending the war.
Writing on X, Zelenskyy said there was “a real prospect of ending this war” and stressed that America’s role would be crucial. He added that both sides agreed to continue discussions in person during the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.
The Kremlin separately described Putin’s nearly 90-minute phone conversation with Trump as “constructive”.
According to Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, Putin reiterated Russia’s preference for a negotiated settlement provided Moscow’s “fundamental positions” are taken into account. He also accused Ukraine and its European allies of seeking to prolong the conflict and claimed Russian forces were continuing to advance along the front.
Ushakov said Trump reaffirmed his willingness to help secure a ceasefire and that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner remained prepared to continue mediation efforts, including potential visits to Moscow.
Despite the renewed diplomatic outreach, competing battlefield claims over Kostiantynivka, the disagreement over the proposed humanitarian truce and continued cross-border attacks suggest that fighting remains intense as the war enters its fifth year.
With inputs from agencies
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