Institute for the Study of War: Russia likely uses Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to diminish Western support

The U.S. think tank reported on Aug. 3 that Russian forces likely use the power plant to “to play on Western fears of a nuclear disaster in Ukraine.” The Russian forces likely plan that the fear will lead to diminished military support from the West for the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Russian forces are also reportedly “forming a strike group to prevent Ukrainian counteroffensives in northern Kherson Oblast or counterattack against them,” according to the report. In the preparation for a pseudo-referenda to annex Ukrainian territories, the Russian proxies may also allow both in-person and online voting — “enabling more straightforward Russian vote rigging,” experts predict.