A Clap Of Winter Thunder: Russia’s Post-Truce Barrage Plunges Cities Into Cold, Army Into A Trap

The energy truce is over. More than 400 strike weapons, including drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, were used against targets in Ukraine overnight. Thermal power plants and stations that exclusively supplied heat to areas in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro were hit. TPP-6 in Kharkiv, the Dnipro Thermal Power Plant, and the Trypilska Thermal Power Plant in the Kyiv region were among the targets.

Chuguev, part of Kharkiv, and the Sumy region were left without power. With temperatures reaching -21°C, Kharkiv authorities decided to drain the heating pipes in 820 homes to prevent them from freezing.

Against the backdrop of a severe energy crisis, the operational situation on the front lines is also not in Kyiv’s favor.

The large Russian breakthrough in the Myropil area of the Sumy region is of great importance. First and foremost, the Ukrainian army will have to withdraw additional forces from other areas. All the main forces in this area are concentrated north of the city of Sumy. Consequently, either the defense will be weakened, or a less significant part of the border will remain completely unprotected.

The situation in Kupyansk remains challenging for both sides. The Russian command has pinned down most of the Ukrainian reserves in the battles for the city. Meanwhile, Ukrainian units have not achieved any significant successes. An earlier attempt to advance north of the city to isolate Russian troops failed.

The Russian army then launched a counteroffensive, pushing back Ukrainian positions considerably. The large logistics hub of Kondrashovka is now in a gray zone, and transit through the town is impossible. Russian advance units have reached the outskirts of Moskovka, where the main railway line passes through.

Despite losing the northwestern and southwestern outskirts, the central part of Kupyansk remains behind Russian troops. The Ukrainian army’s lack of visible success indicates one thing: its combat-ready reserves are depleted.

The day before, the Russian army began a comprehensive offensive on seven different fronts in northern Ukraine. So far, there have been no reports of counterattacks from Ukraine.

On the front lines of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, the Russian command’s plan is gradually becoming clear. To understand it, we must look at the situation from an operational, rather than tactical, perspective. The two largest cities in the Donetsk region are already half surrounded. Russian troops are approaching Svyatogorsk from the north and Dobropillya from the south. It is unlikely that the Russian command will let this favorable situation slip away. Therefore, we can expect the largest encirclement of Ukrainian troops in the history of the conflict in 2026.

https://southfront.press/a-clap-of-winter-thunder/