Russia to expand fighting in the south

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a Russian television network and news agency that Russia plans to expand its “special military operations.” In March, Russia shifted its assault from Kyiv to the eastern Donbas region. At the time, a Russian general said “liberating” that area was their main goal from the beginning. But now, Lavrov said the army will be shifting its focus to include the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions and other territories. 

What’s happening in those areas? In the Kherson region, Ukrainian forces Wednesday struck a bridge that had been supplying Russian forces in the south. Passenger vehicles are still able to cross it, but bridge repairs are delaying trucks. Russia took over the region early in the war and has held it since. White House national security council spokesman John Kirby said Russia is trying to take over more Ukrainian territory and may hold a public vote on annexation as soon as September. He said the vote is unlikely to be legitimate.

Dig deeper: Read Jenny Lind Schmitt’s article in WORLD Magazine on helping Ukrainians cope with the pain of war.