July 04, 2026

Why Moscow suddenly calls to halt shelling

The Defense Ministry of Russia has proposed a temporary halt to shelling in what it falsely claims is the “captured” city of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, in order “to conduct a humanitarian operation” to transfer the bodies of fallen soldiers.

“In connection with the liberation of the city of Kostiantynivka by Russian forces and the establishment of our full control over it, the Russian side is ready to carry out a humanitarian operation,” the ministry stated.

The agency added that it proposes a ceasefire from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on July 6. Russia expects Ukraine’s response by 12:00 p.m. on July 5.

False claim about capturing Kostiantynivka

On July 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russian forces had established full control over Kostiantynivka city in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. However, according to the DeepState battlefield map, that information is completely false.

This morning, the Ukrainian General Staff officially refuted Putin’s claim, stressing that the city remains under the control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Moreover, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited Putin to hold a bilateral meeting in Kostiantynivka after the Russian leader claimed to have “captured” the city.

“If Kostiantynivka is now under Russian control, then I suppose Putin should have no problem meeting me there and finding diplomatic solutions to finally end the war. But he still won’t cross the front line, because the truth is very different from Putin’s words,” the president said.

However, media outlets reported earlier today that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin would not meet Zelenskyy in Kostiantynivka. Instead, he once again proposed holding the meeting in Moscow and said that Russia would continue its military operations.

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russia-offers-ukraine-temporary-ceasefire-1783191157.html