The fighting in Ukraine, now in its seventh month, could be about to escalate with talk of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.  

And, there is also grave concern over risks to Europe’s largest nuclear plant in southern Ukraine. The site is occupied by Russian forces and both sides have accused the other of shelling it.  

To discuss:

• Pavlo Kukhta is former Ukrainian Acting Minister of Economy.
• Pavel Felgenhauer is a defense analyst and columnist for Novaya Gazeta.
• Anton Fedyashin is a professor of history at American University.
• Pieter Cleppe is the Editor-in-chief of BrusselsReport.eu.

For More:

Diplomats raised the alarm Monday over reported shelling at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine, urging Russian and Ukrainian forces to halt the fighting and allow United Nations inspectors access to the site.https://t.co/aLGERR5KbP

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 9, 2022

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on the West to impose a blanket travel ban on Russians, an idea that has found support among some EU member states but angered Moscow which pressed on with a fierce military offensive in eastern Ukraine https://t.co/DDuCQUpC1O 1/6 pic.twitter.com/qeDwg3gYlD

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 9, 2022

The Biden administration announced another $1 billion in new military aid for Ukraine.

It would be the biggest delivery yet of rockets, ammunition and other arms straight from Department of Defense stocks for Ukrainian forces. https://t.co/B10niLcAuy

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 8, 2022

'Any attack to a nuclear plant is a suicidal thing,' U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, as he called for access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after Ukraine and Russia traded accusations over the shelling of the atomic plant https://t.co/EJpFsuJo23 pic.twitter.com/lal9Q0ITEZ

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 8, 2022

As many as 80,000 Russian troops have been wounded or killed in less than six months of fighting in Ukraine, the Pentagon said Monday, the first time the U.S. military announced its estimates of the toll of the invasion on Russia https://t.co/oBnKTMoVIy

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 8, 2022