ISW Key Takeaways
There were no claimed or assessed Russian territorial gains in Ukraine on August 18, 2022 for the first time since July 6, 2022.
Russian sources reported a series of unidentified and unconfirmed explosions across Crimea on the night of August 18.
The Russian Ministry of Defense may be setting information conditions to blame Ukraine for a false flag attack at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Russian forces conducted ground assaults south of Siversk and northeast and south of Bakhmut.
Russian forces continued conducting offensive operations north, west, and southwest of Donetsk City.
Russian forces conducted an unsuccessful ground assault on the Zaporizhia axis.
Ukrainian officials confirmed additional strikes on a Russian military base and warehouse in Kherson Oblast.
The Kremlin is likely leveraging established Cossack organizations to support Russian force generation efforts.
Russian occupation officials continued preparations for the long-term integration of occupied territories of Ukraine into Russia.
[notedly, the ISW are being cautious about last night's claimed attacks in Crimea etc]
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There is a rather unnerving short clip developed of how radiation would spread from the Zaporizhzhia NPP. I can't link it unfortunately but the radiation spreads over most of Western Europe. This is the announcement:
☢️ Scientists from the Ukrainian Research Hydrometeorological Institute under the State Emergency Service and the National Academy of Sciences developed a model of how radiation would spread in the event of an accident at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The model was based on the weather conditions of August 15-18. Radiation would affect not only Ukraine.
❗️The Russian Ministry of Defense announced today that it might shut down the fifth and sixth power units of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, allegedly due to the "threat of shelling from Ukraine" (the ISW suspect false-flag plans, as said above)
Nuclear terrorism is a typical Russian strategy. Think of the Chornobyl NPP they occupied in March 2022, or the Russian missiles that almost hit the Southern Ukrainian NPP in June.. But the situation with the Zaporizhzhia NPP is the most problematic. According to experts, the scale of the potential threat to all of humanity may be 10 times greater than the Chornobyl or Fukushima tragedies.
(I haven't watched it, but this video was released Сould Russia Cause NUCLEAR DISASTER in Europe? Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant)
☢️The invaders are placing equipment right in the engine room of the Zaporizhzhia NPP [not externally confirmed, but then it's not likely to be able to be!]
💪 Slovakia will supply weapons to Ukraine, despite the Russian Federation's resistance — Minister of Defence Jaroslav Naď
What countries have already banned or made it difficult to issue visas to Russians?
🇨🇿 The Czech Republic, 🇪🇪 Estonia, 🇱🇻 Latvia, and 🇱🇹 Lithuania have completely stopped issuing visas to Russians.
🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇳🇱 the Netherlands, 🇧🇪 Belgium, and 🇯🇵 Japan imposed visa-type restrictions.
🇸🇰 Slovakia and 🇲🇹 Malta now allow Russian citizens to enter only on special occasions.
🇳🇴 Norway and 🇧🇬 Bulgaria have complicated the procedure for issuing visas to Russians.
🇺🇦 Ukraine introduced a visa regime with the Russian Federation.
Kaliningrad again: 📌 Russia has sent three MiG-31 aircraft armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles to the Kaliningrad region for "round-the-clock combat duty" at the Chkalovsk air base
⚡️President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting in Lviv with UN Secretary-General António Guterres
The main topics of conversation were the continuation of coordination in the implementation of the grain initiative, the issue of the forced deportation of Ukrainians, the release of Ukrainian military personnel and doctors from captivity.
Particular attention was paid to the topic of Russia's nuclear blackmail at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
The talks lasted only 40 minutes, according to the Turkish portal Haberturk.
📄UN Secretary-General Guterres made a number of statements after the meeting in Lviv:
▪️In the situation with the ZNPP, common sense must prevail in order to avoid security threats.
▪️The UN will support the visit of the station by the IAEA mission only if it goes there via Kyiv.
▪️The UN is working on getting safe access to the Olenivka pre-trial detention center.
▪️The representative of Brazil will lead the mission to establish the facts of the terrorist attack in Olenivka.
✍️The Memorandum of Understanding on the restoration of infrastructure, which provides for Türkiye's participation in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, was signed in Lviv in the presence of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
‼️Russia sent about 10 ships to the Black Sea
This is reported by the Operational Command "Pivden."
Russian ships take refuge in safe areas along the Crimean coast as far as Novorossiysk. On combat duty are two enemy surface aircraft carriers with 16 Kalibr cruise missiles and a large landing ship
❗️The Estonian government has decided to provide Ukraine with additional military assistance, including mortars and anti-tank weapons.
🤝Latvia has provided assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 0.8% of GDP, Zanda Kalnina-Lukashevica, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said
⚡️The European Commission will provide the United Nations Development Program with $21 million to clear the rubble of destroyed infrastructure, buildings, and homes in Ukraine.
⚡️Reuters: The United States is preparing a new $800 million military aid package for Ukraine
The Administration of the U.S. President Joe Biden is preparing about $800 million in additional military aid for Ukraine and may announce it as early as Friday.According to agency sources, Biden is authorizing the aid using his presidential authority to cut spending, allowing the president to authorize the transfer of excess weapons from the U.S. stockpiles.
[There are a lot of reports of shelled and ruined schools and universities recently].
⚡️EU Foreign Ministers may discuss Russian tourist visa ban by end of August.
⚡️Stoltenberg to participate online in Crimea Platform Summit.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will participate in the second summit on Aug. 23, according to a NATO press release. The Crimea Platform is an international platform for work and cooperation on the liberation of Crimea initiated by Ukraine.
Higher than usual number of Russian equipment losses today.