Stalled Russian momentum near Sloviansk coincides with severe energy strikes in Ukraine

Intense ground combat persists across Eastern Ukraine, with the Ukrainian General Staff reporting over 150 daily battles, primarily concentrated on the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka axes. Independent analysts note that Russian advances near Sloviansk and Kupyansk have slowed due to Ukrainian counterattacks, though Russian forces expanded their presence south of Dobropillia and captured a settlement in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Concurrently, Russian strikes targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure triggered widespread blackouts. Authorities reported over 600,000 residents without power in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and 250,000 in Kharkiv Oblast, alongside severe heating disruptions in Kyiv and Zhytomyr Oblast.

Inside Russia, regional fuel sales restrictions emerged following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes hitting eight major oil refineries within a two-week period.

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