Zelensky: Russia's Kostiantynivka "humanitarian mission" is a ploy to force Ukrainian withdrawal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia's proposed "humanitarian mission" in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, is a ploy to force Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the city so Moscow can later capture it. Zelensky said he provided the American side with a list of settlements where Russian troops have blocked civilians, including children, but Russia proposed Kostiantynivka instead. He believes Moscow seeks to achieve through this mission what it failed to gain on the battlefield, noting that after Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk would follow. On November 12, Russian leader Vladimir Putin proposed the mission, claiming Russian forces control the city and offering security guarantees. Ukraine and independent observers report that Ukrainian troops remain in Kostiantynivka.