The 425th Separate Assault Regiment Skelya has announced that it has taken control of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk region.
"Fighters of the Skelya Regiment carried out a clearing operation in Kostiantynivka and raised the Ukrainian flag. The town is under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the regiment said on its Telegram channel on Saturday.
Skelya is the 425th Separate Assault Regiment (known as Skala until August 2025) within the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The unit has earned a distinguished combat record but became the subject of a high-profile investigation in 2026 following allegations of torture, abuse, and dozens of non-combat deaths among recruits.
In early June, more than 100 Russian troops infiltrated Kostiantynivka in Donetsk region, which Russian forces have been attempting to seize in order to establish a bridgehead for an offensive toward Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. The Armed Forces of Ukraine later stated that Russian troops did not control the town, adding that this was not the first time they had infiltrated it. At the same time, Ukrainian servicemen have said that Kostiantynivka is not encircled but has become a "gray zone" because of constant fighting, and that the situation is more complicated than official reports suggest.
