UKRAINE
Situation report day 174
August 16, 2022 - The occupying administration in Kherson Oblast is planning to hold a referendum on Russian annexation on September 11, with separate referenda planned for Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhya regions.
Moscow denies it has anything to do with the vote, saying it is up to the will of the local residents, although the ballots are widely regarded as illegitimate and extremely unlikely to win any international recognition.
An estimated 100 Russian mercenaries were killed in an Aug 14 Ukrainian missile attack on the headquarters of the Wagner Group private military company in Popasna, potentially having a significant impact on its capabilities.
Activists in Belarus have reported that Russia is amassing significant forces in preparation for a massive missile attack on Ukraine from the north.