Dok Rusija almost completely controls the area Lugansk in Ukraine, about 18 percent of the Donetsk region is still not under Russian control, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on April 12. However, the Russian army continues to advance. Its current offensive is primarily directed at Konstantinovka. The capture of that city would open the way for the Russians to the last major cities of the region - Kramatorsk and Slavjansk.
"Konstantinovka as a thorn in the side"
Fighting is already taking place on the outskirts of Konstantinovka, the commander of a Ukrainian company with the nickname "Lis" (Fox) told DW. According to him, some Russian units managed to penetrate into the city from the surrounding forests, hidden by the fog. "They scan the entire front line and look for places where they can infiltrate or create a breach in the defensive line," Lees explains. "Probably, after the series of attacks we're seeing right now, they're going to pick a certain part of the front and focus on that. That's been their usual tactic since last year."
Photo: Hanna Sokolova-Stekh/DWThe commander of the "Lis" (Fox) company warns of the infiltration of Russian soldiers
According to Lees, Konstantinovka is a "thorn in the side" of the Russian army. "Until they break through the line there, they can't move on. The urban area of Konstantinovka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk and Slavyansk is practically one big city," he explains and warns that if the Russians penetrate there, it would be very difficult to stop them.
Withdrawal as part of peace negotiations
Russia is not trying to take control of the entire region by military means alone. And during the peace negotiations so far, Moscow has demanded the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the entire Donbas, i.e. from the areas of Luhansk and Donetsk.
Kiev rejects that request. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fears that Russia, after the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army, could use the area as a starting point for attacks on other regions. According to him, there are "strong defensive and fortified lines" in that area. Even in wartime conditions, around 200.000 people still live there.
"How can you give up the territory for which thousands of our people gave their lives in negotiations? That is out of the question," said Ruslan, the commander of the mortar brigade defending the positions at the entrance to Konstantinovka, indignantly.
"It's a city where our citizens still live. It must be defended," emphasizes the battalion chief of staff, Eduard. "If we just leave it, there will soon be nothing left of the Donetsk region. If Konstantinovka falls, the next target will be Kramatorsk."
The deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II
Civilians between danger and evacuation
It is not clear how many civilians are still in Konstantinovka, which once had a population of 70.000. Evacuation is possible only on foot, on a road covered with a badly damaged net - protection against Russian drone attacks. "When I left Konstantinovka and hid in the houses, I found dead civilians in three houses," the commander of a shooting brigade told DW. "I don't understand people who stay. Why don't they leave?"
Photo: Hanna Sokolova-Stekh/DWA resident of Druzkovka on his way to work in March 2026
There are still residents in nearby Druzkivka. In the morning, as we go with the Ukrainian soldiers, we meet many people on their way to work - mostly utility workers.
"Life in the city is scary," says a woman named Ninel shortly. "But where should I go? I don't have much time left anyway," adds an older man named Vitaly.
Difficult situation in Kramatorsk and Slavjansk
As the war continues, the appearance of Kramatorsk changes more and more. Although the city is not yet directly on the front line, the destruction is increasing almost daily. Only on March 29, the Russian army attacked the city with several aerial bombs. Three people died, including a thirteen-year-old boy.
One of the bombs fell in a residential area that was hit for the seventh time. The people there trying to tidy up their apartments seem surprisingly calm. "We'll pack," Olena says, looking out the glassless window. If the curfew, which already applies during the night, is further extended, "we will have to leave," she says. "That's how it was in Pokrovsk, Konstantinovka, then in Druzhkivka. It is clear to us that it will be our turn."
Anti-drone protective nets along the front line are already a common sight. Now they are also located in the suburbs of Kramatorsk and neighboring Slavyansk. Some parts of Slavyansk are already within range of Russian FPV drones, which is why minors there have already been forcibly evacuated. Nevertheless, the rest of the city is still alive - cafes are open, and pensioners and women with children walk the streets.
Photo: Hanna Sokolova-Stekh/DWA destroyed building in Kramatorsk on March 29, 2026. The fence reads: "Take revenge on the Russian bastard!"
"If I had money, I would go. It's hard to see all this," says the elderly woman Irina. "If we really had to give up this part of Donbass, it would save a lot of lives - both soldiers and civilians. But simply give up that territory? Well, it's part of Ukraine!"
And Slavyansk is a frequent target of attacks. In the center of the city there is a hotel that burned down after the attack of several Shahed-type drones. Vladislav Samusenko was sleeping in one of the rooms when the attack began. "Thank God I'm still alive," he sighs and points to the ruined hotel room.
"Many bodies in yards and on the streets"
Samusenko founded the humanitarian organization "Rhythm of our Life". Originally, he wanted to help orphans, but after the beginning of the Russian invasion, he also organized the evacuation of civilians from threatened areas. "It was immediately clear to me that lives should be saved," he says.
Photo: Hanna Sokolova-Stekh/DWVladislav Samusenko in a destroyed hotel room
On March 24, a pensioner couple - a woman and a paralyzed man - was evacuated from Konstantinovka. He had to walk eight kilometers to reach the city, constantly fearing Russian attacks. "There are a lot of bodies there, in yards and on the streets. You can feel them as you walk past the houses," says Samusenko.
According to him, mostly older people stay in the city. However, he also met some younger men who are afraid of mobilization. "We have too few fighters. Our soldiers are tired and lack replacements." However, as long as civilians ask him for help, says Samusenko, he will always help them escape from war-torn cities.
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