Russia's claim of 'expanding special military operation' beyond Donbass 'not true': UK

Russian forces focus to carry out small scale offensive continues on the Bakhmut axis in the Donbass region but is "making minimal progress," the UK Defence Ministry said in the latest report. The British MoD has called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement regarding the expansion of a "special military operation" beyond the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics "almost certainly not true." The UK intelligence asserted that Russian forces have not "expanded" its war and that maintaining long-term control over the regions as part of the original aim of Russia's military offensive. 

"Lavrov claimed that the operation now included new additional areas, including the Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, as a result of Western countries supplying longer range weapons to Ukraine. This is almost certainly not true," the UK Defence Ministry said in the intelligence update.

The British Defence Ministry in the latest intelligence update underscored that the Russian forces invaded the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and self-declared LPR as well as DPR regions in February. According to Britain, the authorities in Russian held regions of Ukraine have been announcing about prospects of conducting legal independent referendum since March. The UK intelligence underscored that there is a "realistic possibility" that Lavrov made the remarks to "pave the way for referenda to take place" in captured parts beyond Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine. The latest update of UK Defence Ministry comes amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine which continues for more than 140 days. 

Lavrov claims Russia's objectives in Ukraine transcend Donbass 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia's objectives in Ukraine now transcend Donbass. Speaking to RIA Novosti, Lavrov stressed that "geography is different" and added that "It is not only the DPR and LPR, but it is also the Kherson region, Zaporizhzhia region and a number of other territories" and the process continues "steadily." Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pledged to take back all the regions occupied by Russian forces. In his nightly video address on July 18, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces have been able to liberate 1028 settlements from Russian troops and added that Moscow's forces continue to occupy 2021 settlements in Ukraine.

Ukraine accuses Russia of launching missiles at Odesa's port 

Ukraine has claimed that Russian missiles hit Black Sea port of Odesa on July 23, according to AP. The attack has been reported just hours after Russia and Ukraine signed agreement to resume the Ukrainian grain exports. The Ukrainian military's Southern Command said that two Russian Kalibr cruise missile struck the Black Sea port's infrastructure, as per the AP report. According to Ukrainian military's Southern Command, Ukraine's air defence have shot down two other missiles of Russia. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko in a tweet denounced the Russian missile attack on Odesa's port. Oleg Nikolenko tweeted, "It took less than 24 hours for Russia to launch a missile attack on Odesa’s port, breaking its promises and undermining its commitments before the UN and Türkiye under the Istanbul agreement. In case of non-fulfillment, Russia will bear full responsibility for global food crisis."

Inputs from AP

Image: AP