Russian advances stall in eastern Ukraine as strikes trigger energy disruptions

Heavy combat persisted across eastern Ukraine, with Ukrainian defense forces reporting over 150 daily engagements concentrated around the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka sectors. Assessment by the Institute for the Study of War indicated that localized counterattacks slowed Russian movements near Kupyansk and Sloviansk, although Russian units expanded territory south of Dobropillia.

Simultaneously, Russian attacks targeting Ukrainian grid infrastructure caused widespread outages, severing power to over 600,000 consumers in Dnipropetrovsk and 250,000 in Kharkiv, while also impacting Kyiv and Zhytomyr. Inside Russia, Ukrainian drone strikes hitting eight refineries over a fortnight triggered localized fuel deficits, prompting regional authorities and fuel suppliers to enforce purchase limits at filling stations.

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