Ukraine repels Russian forces as US support wavers, energy strikes escalate

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Ukraine faced a sharper strain in its relationship with the United States last week as President Donald Trump eased some oil sanctions on Russia and was believed to have limited Ukraine’s access to US intelligence and satellite support. The article says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the shift hurt Ukraine’s defenses, while Russian strikes intensified against Kyiv and energy infrastructure. Al Jazeera also says Russia launched large drone-and-missile attacks across multiple regions, causing outages and pressure on Ukraine’s power grid.

At the same time, the report says Ukraine continued counteroffensive activity in the east. In Donetsk region, Ukraine’s Third Army Corps said a fourth phase of “Operation Vivaldi” recovered additional territory, bringing gains since August to 275 sq km and 16 settlements. The campaign is described as part of an effort to blunt Russian pressure near Lyman and Dobropillya and to ease threats to key hubs such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

The piece says Ukraine’s progress has been helped by domestically produced drones and support from European partners, while Russian manpower increases and heavy air attacks have raised the stakes along the front. More broadly, the report suggests that battlefield gains and energy strikes are unfolding alongside uncertainty over US policy, making foreign assistance and intelligence sharing central to Ukraine’s ability to hold territory and defend its cities.