A representative of the pro-Russian separatists from the so-called Luhansk People's Republic announced that their forces, backed by the Russian army, have completely encircled Lisichansk, the last town under Kiev's control, reports AFP. The Ukrainian military admitted that heavy fighting was taking place near the city of Lisichansk, but denied that the city was completely encircled by separatists and the Russian troops. If Lisichanks falls, the Russian forces and the separatists will fully control the Luhansk region.

At least three people have been killed and four have been wounded in the Russian city of Belgorod, according to the local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. In his words, at least 11 apartment buildings and nearly 40 private residential houses were destroyed.

Ukrainian forces plan to continue to threaten Russian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) running from Belgorod, Russia, to southern Kharkiv Oblast with Western-supplied long-range rocket artillery. The Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Kraken Special Unit, Konstiantyn Nemichev, stated that Ukrainian forces will use US-provided HIMARS rocket artillery systems to disrupt Russian GLOCs running through Vovchansk, Kupyansk, and Izyum, the Institute for the Study of War announced.

"Russia has changed its military tactics in order to press Ukraine to make territorial concessions, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the President’s Office, said", Ukrinform announced. In his words, Russia invests money in its pro-Russian lobbyists in the political markets of other countries. “Mr. Henry Kissinger’s new article was published today, where he says again: “Let’s make certain territorial concessions, and there will then be an opportunity to end this war”, Mykhailo Podolyak said further.