AFP is reporting - "Russia orders partial evacuation from Russian-held areas near southern Ukraine front line"
What AFP isn't saying in that headline is that it's not troops that the Russians are evacuating, its Ukrainian civilians being moved further away from the front lines.
There is no evidence of Russian troops willingly or unwillingly evacuating their defensive lines, yet.
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Ukraine is still shaping the battlefield for their impending offensive.
@Render
Sounds like they want to do their usual "we can't aim worth shit but we like to make things go boom" strategy without killing a lot of ethnic Russians.
@EileenKCarpenter Kinda, sorta.
They don't want Ukrainian civilians reporting on their movements.
@Render @EileenKCarpenter
Maybe they don't want a repeat of mass slaughter of civilians hiding in cellars like in other towns. They can't control their alcohol-damaged soldiers.
@jurban While this is true, I'm pretty sure that Russian high command doesn't give a shit about serfs and peons.
@Render @EileenKCarpenter
Yes, as a default.
But, to proactively remove them removes the potential distraction. It makes it easier to systematically carpet bomb any area they choose without consequences.