Russia says Kostiantynivka has fallen. Kyiv claims it still holds the city. Both are wrong.

In recent days, alongside reports of drone and missile strikes on cities, factories, and gas stations, the state of the front lines has suddenly become a major topic of discussion — apparently because Donald Trump has returned as a mediator in the negotiations.

Vladimir Putin told him about the fighting in the ruins of Kostiantynivka, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region — a key city the Russian president claims his army now holds.

Ukraine’s General Staff responded that Kostiantynivka remains under the control of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

To back up their claims, both sides released videos of their troops inside the city, some recorded by opposing troops on nearby streets.

In reality, neither Moscow nor Kyiv is right: Russian forces haven’t captured Kostiantynivka outright, but Ukraine doesn’t control the city either, though its troops still hold positions there, including in the city center.

And while the Kremlin jumped the gun with its announcement, the situation in Kostiantynivka and elsewhere in the Donbas continues to deteriorate slowly for Ukraine’s military. ...