Russian troops want to apply the successful tactics of Pokrovsk to Konstantinovka

Russian troops are trying to reproduce for the offensive against Konstantinovka the scheme that they had previously successfully applied in Pokrovsk. This is stated in the latest report of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

It is noted that the Russians in the Konstantinovka-Druzhkovka area are activating the air interception campaign, creating conditions for future offensive operations in Konstantinovka. The commander of the Ukrainian brigade operating in the Konstantinovka direction reported on February 4 that Russian troops have recently focused their efforts on intercepting Ukrainian logistics rather than conducting combat operations, partly due to low temperatures. According to him, this forces Ukrainian forces to rely more on ground-based drones to supply troops and positions in Konstantinovka. He also noted that the brigade's use of such drones in January 2026 had doubled.

The commander said that Russian forces are also disrupting Ukrainian logistics by monitoring, striking, and remotely mining Ukrainian ground lines of communication using FPV drones; organizing ambushes using drones; and destroying Ukrainian ground-based drones. According to him, it is difficult to withdraw Ukrainian drone operators from Konstantinovka, as Russian forces prioritize destroying Ukrainian drone operators with glide bombs, "Molniya" drones; and other FPV drones.

Also, a representative of another Ukrainian brigade operating in the Konstantinovka-Druzhkovka tactical area reported on January 8 that the range of Russian drones had significantly increased in 2025, which made it difficult for Ukrainian forces to advance in Konstantinovka.

“Russian troops are probably trying to reproduce the new campaign scheme that Russia successfully implemented in Pokrovsk, and then in the eastern part of Zaporizhia Oblast“, explain ISW analysts.

In the Pokrovsk direction, the Russians struck various targets in the rear of Ukraine at an operational depth of 25 to 100 km and more before the subsequent ground offensives. Russian forces have also been striking Ukrainian drone operators to create vulnerabilities in Ukraine's "drone wall."

As analysts emphasize, Russian forces have been conducting campaigns of such airstrikes for several months to create conditions for intensifying offensive operations in the Pokrovskoye and Gulyaipol directions, which ultimately allowed Russia to advance in these directions in the fall of 2025.