Russia's offensive in northern Kharkiv has been the focus of much of the reporting on the war in Ukraine over recent days.
Sky News military analyst Michael Clarke has said the aim of Moscow is to draw Ukraine's forces to that area from the south, thus stretching the country's military resources.
And the latest analysis from US thinktank the Institute for the Study of War suggests that the pace of the offensive "appears to have slowed over the past 24 hours".
The group's experts said the pattern of Russian offensive activity in the area was consistent with assessments that Vladimir Putin's forces are prioritising the creation of a "buffer zone" in the international border area over a deeper penetration of Kharkiv Oblast.
It said several Ukrainian military officials reported yesterday that they believed the situation in Kharkiv Oblast was slowly stabilising.
"Drone footage purportedly from Vovchansk shows Russian foot mobile infantry operating within the settlement in small squad-sized assault groups, consistent with Ukrainian reports," the analysis added.
