Ukraine intends to halt the flow of Russian gas to Europe through a key transit point amid reports that Ukrainian forces have seized several villages north and northeast of Kharkiv from Russian troops, a counter-offensive that could signal a change in the direction of the war and to threaten Russia's main offensive. Meanwhile, US intelligence has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for a long war in Ukraine.

Russia's president is preparing for a protracted conflict in Ukraine and will not stop with Donbas, warned US National Intelligence Director Avril Haines. At a hearing in a Senate committee, Haines said Vladimir Putin was determined to seize a land corridor to Transnistria in Moldova. However, he "faces a mismatch between his ambitions and Russia's current conventional military capabilities," Haines said, adding that the Russian president "probably" relied on US and EU support for Ukraine to weaken as inflation, food shortages and food shortages energy prices are deteriorating.

The US warning comes amid ongoing fierce fighting in the east, where Russia is trying to seize territory. In recent days, however, Ukrainian troops have said they have taken four villages north of Kharkiv. Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said the region has been attacked more than 20 times in the past 24 hours.

In the southern port city of Mariupol, Russian forces continued their attack on the Azovstal steel plant, where the city's last defenders are hiding. An aide to the mayor said at least 100 civilians were still trapped there, as were about 1,000 fighters.

Ukraine's emergency services say all fires that broke out as a result of yesterday's Russian strikes on the Black Sea port of Odessa have been extinguished.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian gas transmission operator announced it would suspend the transit of Russian natural gas through the Luhansk region and blamed the Russian occupiers for its decision. Gazprom has announced that the proposed switching of the suspended part of the transit through the station in the Sumy region controlled by Ukraine is technically impossible.

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