Institute for the Study of War: Russian proxies withhold humanitarian aid to force civilians to cooperate in Mariupol

The U.S. think tank reported on July 27 that Russian proxies are leveraging food aid and other humanitarian assistance to force the population to “demine and clear rubble” in Mariupol. Refusal to cooperate has also led to proxies to “import[ing] Russians to work in occupied territories” to fulfill basic tasks, such as reopening businesses, clearing rubble, or establishing occupation bureaucracies.