Heavy combat persists in eastern Ukraine as power cuts and Russian fuel rationing escalate

Ukrainian forces reported over 150 daily combat engagements, with the heaviest fighting concentrated in the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka sectors. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Ukrainian counterattacks have constrained Russian tactical gains near Kupyansk and Sloviansk, though Russian troops expanded control south of Dobropillia and claimed a new settlement in Zaporizhzhia.

Concurrently, Russian strikes targeting energy infrastructure caused widespread blackouts, leaving more than 600,000 residents without electricity in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and 250,000 in Kharkiv Oblast. Heat and power disruptions were also reported in Kyiv and Zhytomyr.

In response to Ukrainian drone strikes on eight Russian refineries over two weeks, major fuel suppliers, including Rosneft, introduced purchase restrictions at filling stations across several Russian regions to manage growing local shortages.

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