Russia Claims Capture of Kostyantynivka but Ukrainian Forces Retain Positions
Russia has claimed the capture of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials, independent analysts and military bloggers say the announcement is premature as fighting continues and Ukrainian forces retain positions in parts of the town.
Russian Claim on Kostyantynivka
Russia claims it has captured Kostyantynivka. It is not true. [1] Russian military blog Romanov Light wrote tersely that Kostyantynivka equals Kupiansk, referring to the well-known story from last August when Gerasimov prematurely informed Putin about the capture of Kupiansk, which remains mostly under Ukrainian army control. [1] Putin declared on Friday that Russian forces have taken control of the town of Kostyantynivka. [1] The Ukrainian army rejected this claim almost immediately. [1]
Ukrainian analyst Petrenko published two maps on which he geolocated the places where Russians showed their flags. [1] These locations are spread across the town, and while on the first map the central part was still marked as controlled by the Ukrainian army, on the second the whole town is already shaded. [1] Ukrainians published an edited compilation of videos from various parts of the town and from positions where they have their soldiers, refuting Russia’s claim of the complete capture of the town through geolocation data confirming Ukrainian control. [1] Most Russian Z-channels repeat the Kremlin’s rhetoric about the capture of the town but at the same time write about clearing out the remaining Ukrainian units, as seen with the Rybar channel which reports the town’s capture alongside ongoing fighting. [1]
The Polish OSINT account Thorkill has long considered the battle decided but still rejected Russia’s victory announcement, noting that footage from the northwestern outskirts including the hospital area and neighbouring administrative buildings, as well as from the northeastern sector known as the historic centre, is missing. [1] This suggests groups of Ukrainian soldiers may still be present there, with Ukrainians still controlling the northern entrances to the town. [1] Russia’s statement about the capture of the town is therefore inaccurate and premature. [1]
Putin's Staged Appearance and Inaccurate Maps
After a significant break, Russian propaganda showed Vladimir Putin in uniform at a location claimed to be somewhere near the front line. [1] In a corridor whose walls were covered with camouflage netting, the Russian president was welcomed by his chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov. [1] The whole scene looked very unnatural, leading to speculation that the footage had been filmed in a safe location dressed up to resemble a military headquarters. [1] Putin’s poor physical condition was also striking as he looked insecure and exhausted. [1]
Gerasimov told Putin that Russian units were nine kilometres from Zaporizhzhia. [1] On its own map, the Institute for the Study of War showed the reality and where Russian troops would be if Gerasimov had not been lying. [1] Russian Rybar reveals these inaccuracies even better, with the official Russian map from the defence ministry on the left and Rybar’s map of the western flank of the Zaporizhzhia axis on the right. [1] On the Russian defence ministry’s image the front line corresponds to the claim that there are only nine kilometres left to reach Zaporizhzhia, yet even Russian unofficial propaganda channels place the front roughly 16 km further back. [1]
Orikhiv is also worth noting, as on the Kremlin’s map it is surrounded by red from three sides, but the area around the town according to the Black Bird Group shows the front line about 15 km further away to Russia’s disadvantage. [1] The small town of Pokrovske in the upper right corner is shown with direct fighting over it, though the front line is again about 15 km further away to Russia’s disadvantage. [1]
Russian forces claim capture of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine amid ongoing fighting. — Source: france24
Massive Russian Strike on Kyiv
During the night from Sunday to Monday, Russia launched 351 drones against Ukraine, mainly targeting Kyiv, of which 326 were shot down for a 93-percent success rate. [1] Among the Ch-101 and Kalibr cruise missiles, 39 were launched in total, 37 of which were destroyed for a 95-percent success rate. [1] Ukrainian air defences did not manage to shoot down a single one of the six supersonic, originally anti-ship Zircon missiles, nor any of the 23 Iskander and S-400 missiles. [1] Russia hit residential buildings in several districts of the city, and at the time of writing there were already 14 fatalities. [1] During the air raid on 2 July last week there were even more, as many as 31. [1] Ukrainians said that Russia was increasing the intensity of its use of ballistic missiles. [1]
Hamas Dissolves Gaza Governing Body
The Hamas-run government in Gaza announced the dissolution of its emergency committee and transfer of control to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. [3] At a press conference in Gaza City, Ismail Thawabteh, the head of the media office, announced that government institutions had completed all legal and administrative preparations required to transfer their responsibilities to the proposed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. [3] Thawabteh noted that ministries and public institutions will keep operating through civil servants focused on essential services, working under the National Committee’s authority to implement its decisions. [3] Hazem Qassem, Hamas’s spokesperson, said the announcement was a political concession to remove Israeli pretexts for delaying a ceasefire, adding that the movement advanced in removing occupation excuses with Hamas fulfilling commitments. [3]
Gaza’s residents have become less concerned with institutional arrangements than with achieving a durable ceasefire. [3] Ahmed al-Masri, a 42-year-old displaced resident of Gaza City, believes the decision should have been taken during the first months of the war. [3] Khader Abu al-Rous, 37, said Hamas has effectively removed one of Israel’s most frequently cited arguments. [3] Khaled Nassar, 50, from Deir al-Balah, doubts Israel’s position will change. [3] Ahed Ferwana, a political analyst from Gaza, believes the announcement should be understood within the broader context of Hamas’s evolving political strategy rather than as an isolated administrative decision. [3] Hussam al-Dajani, a Gaza-based political analyst, said the decision also does not resolve the broader disputes that continue to block progress in negotiations, including Israeli demands regarding security arrangements, the future of Hamas’s military wing, reconstruction mechanisms and long-term governance. [3]
Local Clashes in Nigeria and Sri Lanka
One was killed and several others injured following a land dispute in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State. [4] The incident occurred on Friday, July 4, 2026. [4] The victim, Nkeruwem Ikoh, popularly known as Obong Ikor Obong, was shot dead on his farmland in Urugbam by armed men suspected to have come from Egbor Community in Erei South, both in Biase LG. [4] The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, said the command had commenced an investigation after two farmers, Mr Nkeruwem Ikoh and Mr Ukam Ajah Okpan, both of Orugbam Community, Erei, were allegedly attacked and shot by unidentified gunmen while working on their farmlands near Egbor Community. [4] Mr Nkeruwem Ikoh later succumbed to his injuries while the second victim is currently receiving treatment. [4]
Twenty-five dead, 100 injured in clashes at Sri Lanka prison, sources say. [5]
What to watch next: Ukrainian analysts continue to track geolocated videos from Kostyantynivka to assess whether remaining Ukrainian units can hold or withdraw, while mediators monitor whether Hamas’s transfer of governance files accelerates the second phase of ceasefire talks.
