Putin proposes humanitarian mission in contested Ukrainian city while claiming Russian control
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a humanitarian mission in Kostiantynivka, a city in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, while claiming Russian forces control it - a claim at odds with reports that Ukrainian troops remain in the city.
Putin suggested that the Ukrainian and Russian human rights commissioners work together to organize the mission, according to statements carried by Russian state news agencies TASS and Interfax on November 12.
He said Russia was prepared to provide security for the operation and would need five days to clear mines from the area around Kostiantynivka.
“If Kyiv considers the city to be under its control, let it ensure security from its side,” Putin said, according to Interfax.
There was no immediate indication in the reports that Ukraine had accepted the proposal or that a ceasefire had been agreed.
Putin cited a recent humanitarian operation in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in southern Ukraine's Kherson region, as a model for the proposed mission.
A temporary ceasefire was in place around Oleshky from October 27 to November 1 to allow humanitarian access and evacuations amid a severe humanitarian crisis.
During the operation, routes were cleared of mines, a humanitarian convoy was prepared, and Ukrainian officials led by Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets participated in efforts to evacuate residents.
On October 31, evacuees traveled through Belarus before crossing into Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Unlike Oleshky, which was under Russian occupation when the humanitarian operation took place, Kostiantynivka remains contested. Ukrainian forces have maintained a presence in the city despite Russia's claims of control.
Putin's proposal does not in itself establish any change in the city's military status or an agreement on humanitarian access.
The proposal comes less than two weeks after a humanitarian ceasefire around Russian-occupied Oleshky, which Ukrainian forces say Moscow used to reinforce its military positions.
In a November 1 investigation, Sky News published Ukrainian drone footage showing Russian troops moving armored vehicles and supplies during the ceasefire. The footage also showed soldiers carrying away food aid intended for civilians and taking it to their positions. Ukrainian military intelligence told Sky News that a vehicle had broken away from the evacuation convoy to deliver supplies to Russian troops.