Lull in Donbas likely over, ISW report says

Read also: Russian troops shell Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, says regional governor

Russian forces carried out a series of limited ground assaults northwest of Slovyansk, southeast of Siversk, along the T1302 Bakhmut-Lysychansk highway, southeast of Bakhmut, and southwest of Donetsk.

Read also: Ukrainian army general on enemy's chances of capturing Donbas and what Russian defeat might look like

The assaults are still small-scale and were largely unsuccessful. If the operational pause is truly over, the Russians will likely continue and expand such assaults in the coming 72 hours.

Read also: How large cities in Donetsk region are preparing for an attack by two hostile forces — the Russians and the cold

The Russians might instead alternate briefer pauses with strengthening attacks over a number of days before moving into a full-scale offensive operation.

The 10-day-long operational pause was insufficient to fully regenerate Russian forces for large-scale offensive operations, but the Russian military seems to feel continuous pressure to resume and continue offensive operations.

Russian forces focused on preventing Ukrainian forces from advancing toward the Russian border in Kharkiv Oblast.