A damaged military vehicle is seen after the withdrawal of Russian forces in Balakliia, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Sept. 13, 2022.
As Russian authorities continue a mass evacuation of civilians from occupied Kherson in southern Ukraine, defense analysts believe that the movement of people is setting the scene for Moscow to withdraw its troops from a significant part of the region.
Residents were told to leave Kherson after Russian-installed officials warned them that Ukraine is preparing to launch a large-scale offensive.
On Thursday, he claimed Russian forces had repelled four attempts by Ukrainian troops to "break through in the Kherson direction."
For its part, Ukraine has disputed that preface to the evacuations, saying Russia was trying to scare civilians and was using the evacuation as "propaganda."