Overview
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said its ‘Vostok’ grouping seized Zhovtneve in Zaporizhzhia, crossed the Haičur river, and took more than six square kilometers of Ukrainian defensive positions.
- Zaporizhzhia’s energy ministry reported over 76,000 customers without electricity after overnight attacks, with repairs hampered by drone activity, and the regional governor said strikes are targeting power assets during freezing weather.
- The ministry said Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian pontoon crossing over the Oskil river in Kharkiv region and reported heavy Ukrainian losses in the Donetsk sector over the past week.
- Rostov region’s governor reported air defenses engaged targets across six districts with no casualties, while Bryansk’s governor said rocket fire damaged energy facilities, leaving some residents without power and heat.
- Vladimir Putin told newly arrived ambassadors he seeks a swift settlement conditional on the other side’s readiness, Bloomberg reported plans for a US delegation to discuss security guarantees for Kyiv, and Dmitry Peskov said Russia welcomes efforts to shift the issue to a political track.