Putin wants to repeat the Oleshky humanitarian mission in occupied Kostiantynivka. Why there? And is it a ploy to resupply Russian troops?
Ahead of his meeting with U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a humanitarian operation in Kostiantynivka, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, modeled on a similar mission recently carried out in Oleshky. According to Putin, “about 400 to 500 civilians” remain in the city.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a humanitarian mission in Kostiantynivka, located in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, following a similar operation in Oleshky. The mission aims to evacuate an estimated 400 to 500 civilians still in the city, which is controlled by Russian forces. Putin suggests delegations led by Russian and Ukrainian human rights commissioners could oversee the evacuation, while foreign journalists observe. He stresses that the city is under Russian control and ready to clear it of mines.
However, Ukrainian adviser Dmytro Lytvyn doubts Russia's intentions, suggesting the mission could be a cover for rotating troops. Kostiantynivka, with about 70,000 inhabitants before the war, is 20 kilometers south of Kramatorsk. Russian forces captured most of the city in summer 2026 after bombing and drone strikes, but scattered Ukrainian units remain on its outskirts.
If a ceasefire were declared and the mission took place, observers might believe Russia controls Kostiantynivka, which could serve Putin's aim of demonstrating Russian control over the city. The operation's effectiveness and Russia's motives remain uncertain, as only a Ukrainian official expressed concern over Russia potentially using the mission to reinforce and rotate its forces.
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