Russians likely using positions near Zaporizhzhia NPP to shell Nikopol — ISW

Russian troops probably continue to use the positions around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to shell the city of Nikopol directly from the opposite bank of the Kakhovskyi Reservoir, said the American Institute for the Study of War in its latest update.

Analysts noted that also according to British intelligence, Russian troops use facilities at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and in the city of Enerhodar as a shelter, where they rest and protect their equipment from Ukrainian strikes, given the security status of the nuclear power plant.

In addition, new volunteer battalions are being formed in two regions of the Russian Federation — Omsk and Samara.

The governor of Omsk Oblast said that the region would provide recruits with a one-time payment of 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,612), but specified that the funds would only be available after three months of service.

Previously, the ISW noted the formation of volunteer battalions in the Novosibirsk, Saratov, Ulyanovsk, and Kurgan regions of the Russian Federation.

Other conclusions of the Institute regarding the Russo-Ukrainian war as of August 5:

• Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged heavy artillery fire in Pisky, suggesting that Russian forces are unlikely to have full control of Pisky despite Russian claims;
• Russian forces conducted several limited ground assaults to the north, northwest, and southwest of Donetsk City;
• Russian forces unsuccessfully attempted to advance on Lozove, Kherson Oblast, likely targeting the Ukrainian bridgehead over the Inhulets River;
• Russian occupation authorities are likely accelerating passportization and rubleization efforts and civilian data collection in occupied territories in preparation for the upcoming pseudo-referenda on the annexation of occupied Ukrainian territory into Russia;
• The Kremlin is continuing to replace Ukrainian collaborators in Russian occupation administrations with Russian officials, likely to prepare for formal Russian governance of annexed areas.