ISW: Russia may attempt to reframe invasion of Ukraine as 'counterterrorism operation'

The Institute for the Study of War said in its latest assessment that Russian officials may try to justify their occupation of soon-to-be-annexed Ukrainian territory as a “counterterrorism operation.” Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of Crimea, said on Sept. 26 that Russian officials may temporarily shut down the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant while conducting their "counterterrorism operations" in newly-annexed territories, citing a Russian federal law that allows for the suspension of radiological facilities during counterterrorism efforts.