Frontline fighting persists as Ukraine faces outages and Russia restricts fuel

Intense ground fighting continues along the Ukrainian frontline, with Ukrainian forces stalling Russian offensives near Kupyansk and Sloviansk through tactical counterattacks. However, Russian troops expanded territory south of Dobropillia and claimed control over a Zaporizhzhia settlement following nearly two weeks of minimal progress.

Simultaneously, Russian air strikes against energy infrastructure triggered widespread blackouts across Ukraine. Over 600,000 residents in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and 250,000 in Kharkiv Oblast lost power, alongside heating disruptions in Kyiv and Zhytomyr Oblast.

Inside Russia, several regional authorities introduced fuel sales limits to manage emerging local supply deficits. The shortages follow a series of targeted Ukrainian drone strikes against eight major Russian oil refineries over a two-week period.

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