Frontline fighting intensifies in Ukraine as Russian energy strikes trigger mass blackouts

Intense military engagements continue across the Ukrainian front line, with over 150 daily combat clashes reported, primarily concentrated in the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka sectors. Independent battlefield assessments indicate that Russian advances toward Sloviansk and Kupyansk have stalled amid Ukrainian counterattacks, though Russian troops expanded territory south of Dobropillia and claimed a minor tactical gain in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Concurrently, Russian missile and drone attacks targeting Ukraine's energy network caused severe disruptions. Ukrainian officials reported power outages affecting more than 600,000 residents in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and 250,000 in Kharkiv Oblast, alongside heat supply interruptions in Kyiv and Zhytomyr Oblast.

Inside the Russian Federation, several regional authorities imposed localized fuel sales limits. The measures follow a series of Ukrainian drone strikes hitting eight major Russian oil refineries over the preceding two weeks.

Sources: Belsat, NEXTA, The Insider, Радіо Свобода, Українська правда.