Frontline fighting slows around Sloviansk as blackouts impact Ukraine

Intense combat persists across the Ukrainian front, with Ukraine's General Staff recording over 150 engagements in a single day, concentrated primarily in the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka sectors. Independent analysts indicate Russian advances toward Sloviansk and Kupyansk have slowed due to Ukrainian counterattacks, though Russian forces recorded limited advances south of Dobropillia and in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Simultaneously, targeted Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure have triggered extensive blackouts. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast reported over 600,000 residents without power, while around 250,000 lost electricity in Kharkiv Oblast, with heating disruptions affecting parts of Kyiv and Zhytomyr Oblast.

Inside Russia, several regions introduced fuel sales restrictions to address local supply shortages following Ukrainian drone strikes targeting eight major oil refineries over a two-week period.

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