KYIV: Russia said on Wednesday that its military aims in Ukraine have expanded beyond the industrial Donbas region as its forces launched deadly barrages over the east and the south of the country.

The warning came as the European Commission called on EU countries to slash demand for natural gas to relieve dependence on Russian energy and the bloc agreed an embargo on Russian gold imports.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview that Moscow’s military was no longer “only” focused on wresting control of the east Ukraine regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, which have been partially controlled by pro-Moscow rebels for years.

“The geography is different now. It is not only about the DNR and LNR, but also the Kherson region, the Zaporizhzhia region and a number of other territories” he explained to state media.

Russian forces, since invading on Feb 24, have steadily advanced into each of those regions, wreaking destruction as they captured key cities and met fierce Ukrainian resistance.

Ukrainian Foreign Mini­ster Dmytro Kuleba, respo­nded to Lavrov’s remarks by calling on allies of his country to ramp up sanctions on Moscow and speed arms deliveries to Kyiv.

“By confessing dreams to grab more Ukrainian land, Russian Foreign Minister (Sergei Lavrov) proves that Russia rejects diplomacy and focuses on war and terror,” he said.

Emergency energy plans

Announcing an emergency plan on Wednesday, the European Commission asked EU countries to reduce demand for natural gas by 15 percent to secure sufficient storage ahead of winter.

EU commissioners have also asked member states to give Brussels special powers to impose compulsory energy rationing if Russia cuts off Europe’s gas lifeline.Lavrov also dismissed the idea of further peace talks with Ukraine, claiming that earlier rounds showed Kyiv was unwilling to negotiate in “earnest”. “It doesn’t make any sense in the current situation,” he told state media.

Russian and Ukrainian delegations are nevertheless expected in Istanbul in the coming days for more talks on unblocking Ukraine’s Black Sea grain exports.

Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday he hoped an agreement could be formulated “this week”.

Mykolaiv, the largest city under Ukrainian control near Russian-occupied Kherson and the southern front, has been shelled persistently since the beginning of the invasion.

The regional governor on Wednesday announced the city would be closed “for a day or two” in several weeks to process information on people believed to have been collaborating with Russian troops.

The announcement comes after Zelensky in Kyiv fired several senior law enforcement officials — including the head of the security services — accusing their departments of having failed to crack down on spies and Kremlin sympathisers.

The West has responded to Russia’s invasion with several packages of damaging sanctions, which in turn has seen Russia cut natural gas supplies to the bloc, spurring a supply and cost crisis.

In its latest package of penalties, the EU targeted gold exports and froze assets at Russia’s largest bank Sberbank.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2022