Russian
defense ministry informed President Vladimir Putin on Friday that its forces
captured Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine, a major locality
Moscow has long targeted for its Donetsk region advance.
Putin, who
received the report from top commanders during a command post visit, praised
the city’s seizure as a vital strategic achievement. He said that Russia must
expand its security zones because of intensified Ukrainian long-range strikes
against the national oil industry.
Chief of...
