The Institute for the Study of War said in its latest assessment that the Kremlin will use the falsified results of sham referenda to illegally annex all occupied parts of Ukraine and is likely to announce unoccupied parts of Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts as part of Russia. The experts believe that this domestically focused move is intended to improve Russian military recruiting by calling on the Russian people to “defend” newly claimed Russian territory. "Putin and his advisors have apparently realized that current Russian forces are insufficient to conquer Ukraine and that efforts to build large forces quickly through voluntary mobilization are culminating short of the Russian military’s force requirements," the ISW said in the update.
Edit post
ISW: Putin’s annexation of occupied Ukrainian territory to broaden legal definition of 'Russian' territory
September 21, 2022 7:28 AM
1 min read
This audio is created with AI assistance
Editors' Picks

‘Neither side wasted time' — Ukraine's economy minister on minerals deal negotiations with Trump’s ‘business-oriented’ administration

Russia increasingly targets Ukraine's cities with cluster munitions, raising civilian toll

As US aid to Ukraine dries up, new platform connects American investors with Ukrainian startups
