Russia proposes temporary ceasefire in Konstantinovka

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Saturday that it had proposed a temporary ceasefire in the front-line city of Konstantinovka in eastern Ukraine to facilitate the transfer of the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers.

Konstantinovka is a key stronghold located in Ukraine's Donetsk region.

In a statement, the ministry said Russia is willing to conduct a humanitarian action to hand over the bodies of Ukrainian service members and proposed suspending hostilities in Konstantinovka from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Moscow time on Monday.

The Kremlin also called on Kyiv to respond to the proposal by 12:00 p.m. Moscow time on Sunday.

The proposal came as Russia claimed on Friday that its armed forces had taken full control of Konstantinovka.

"The main news is that Konstantinovka has been completely taken," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti as saying.

Following the announcement, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the capture of Konstantinovka "carries great strategic significance" while visiting one of the joint force's temporary command posts on Friday.

"As we all know, the city is a key transportation hub and a major industrial center of Donbas," Putin said, adding that Russian forces have taken control of 133 settlements and more than 3,000 square kilometers across Donbas and Novorossiya since the start of 2026.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the General Staff on Saturday rejected Russian claims that Konstantinovka ‌has been captured, saying Ukraine still controls the ​city.

(With input from Xinhua)