Ukraine troops have managed to repel Russian attacks since Lysychansk fell: UK intel

Ukrainian armed forces have been successful in repelling Russian assaults since Lysychansk in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk had fallen to the invading Russian troops, UK Defense Ministry claimed in its intelligence update on July 16. Russia has been able to make only "premature and false claims" that it entered the town of Siversk earlier this week although the Russian offensive remains reduced in scope and scale, the intelligence update read. Since a fierce battle has been raging in the western Donbass region, Ukrainian troops also had to retreat from the strategic city of Severodonetsk in Luhansk as Russians continued to push their advancement deeper into the Ukrainian towns. 

The United Kingdom had also iterated that capturing the region of Lysychansk will give Moscow a significant boost in its goal of 'liberating' all of the contentious Donbass area. In the intelligence update, UK's defense ministry had informed that Russia has been rapidly expanding its control over "virtually all of the territory of Luhansk" as a result of its relative capture of the city of Lysychansk. The ministry in its latest intel has noted that Moscow has been making "false claims" about its troops making combat progress in order to "boost morale" of its forces and "to sell the war better to the Russian public." 

Russia's military operation 'reduced in scope and scale': UK intel 

Russia's military operations in Ukraine have since "reduced in scope and scale" and the fighting was focused on the western part of the city of Lysychansk that Moscow captured particularly in the towns of Siversk and Bakhmut, the UK defense ministry said in the intelligence update. "This is despite Russian claims to have entered the outskirts of Siversk town earlier in the week," the defense officials iterated. 

"Russia has previously made premature and false claims of success" and this was "likely at least in part aimed at demonstrating success to domestic audiences and to reinforce the morale of the fighting forces," the update further continued. 

UK's Defense Ministry stressed that the Ukrainian forces have managed to push back the invading Russian soldiers even as the defensive line has been "shortened and straightened." "This has allowed for the concentration of force and fires against reduced Russian attacks and has been instrumental in reducing Russia's momentum," the ministry added. In Moscow, Putin had held a meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu wherein he pledged to reward all Russian and Luhansk territory servicemen who achieved the victory in operation. Russia's military units of the "Centre" and the Southern grouping of Lysychansk must pause their combat capabilities, Putin had emphasised. The "West" and "East" groups, meanwhile, continue their actions according to the plan, he iterated, stressing that his combat troops had needed rest before resuming the operations on a normal scale.