Russian telegram channels report that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are beginning to leave their positions. According to a source of "New Europe" in the Russian grouping of troops in Ukraine, the Russian troops have begun to abandon the positions that were occupied earlier. Very slow so far. But perhaps we are observing signs of the beginning of the long-awaited Ukrainian offensive. According to information from the contact line, the withdrawal of Russian units from the "northern salient" near Avdiivka is currently taking place. The fighting is going on for Novoselivka, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine are not yet trying to storm this settlement, rather they are "marking their presence".

"The southern salient near the village of Vodyane is still holding, but the Russian Armed Forces may withdraw from there within the next two days," says my interlocutor. — The positions near Ugledar have been abandoned. There is now a gray zone ten kilometers deep. The Russian Armed Forces withdraw to Volnovakha. The front is still being held in Mariintka, but there are few troops there. In Bakhmut, the Armed Forces of Ukraine began to take back the quarters in the center previously taken by the Wagnerites. Progress is slow, but successful. Despite everything, the armed forces of the Russian Federation in the north and south of Bakhmut are preparing to leave.

"The Armed Forces of Ukraine transferred fresh assault units to the Donetsk direction, which first carried out a successful reconnaissance in the battle at Vodyanyi, pushing the Russian Armed Forces to 2-3 km, and then knocked out the Russian troops from their positions northeast of Avdiyivka, hitting the base of the Russian advance on Novoselyvka, - "Volya" telegram channel describes what is happening. — According to reports from both sides, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have withdrawn to Novoselivka, there is a threat of losing the settlement if the Armed Forces continue to advance. This may lead to an encirclement or a rapid retreat of the Russian Armed Forces from positions near Krasnohorivka. These same positions, which the Russian "vienkors" called key and assured in the fall that it was from there that the Russian Armed Forces would be able to successfully encircle Avdiivka. Fierce battles for these settlements have been going on since the beginning of the war. Now, all the local successes of the Russian Armed Forces will most likely turn out to be a retreat from positions generously watered with blood."

According to Volya, the Russian Armed Forces retreated to the east of Avdiyivka, moving closer to the village of Spartak and the town of Yasinuvata. Telegram channel sources attribute the retreat to two factors. The first: the Russian units were unable to advance further because they had exhausted their human and material resources. The second: the actions of the assault units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Avdiivka showed that the stretched front could be breached in several places at once, so it was decided to shorten the contact line in order to create a saturated defense around Donetsk, Yasynuvatai and Horlivka, as well as to strengthen the defense around Volnovakha.

According to Volya, the situation is similar in the Bakhmut district. The Russian Armed Forces are preparing to withdraw from their positions to the south and north of the city, and the PMK have completely lost the pace of their advance in Bakhmut itself. — In many areas of the front today, a decrease in the offensive activity of Russian troops is recorded, — says the head of the Center for Military Legal Research Oleksandr Musienko. — The Russians are still trying to attack on the Lyman direction in the area of ​​Belogorivka. And although the bloody confrontation continues in the districts of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, the intensity of the fighting has noticeably decreased. In some areas, Ukrainian troops are carefully pushing back the enemy and advancing deep into his positions.

According to Oleksandr Musienko, having exhausted the offensive potential, the Russian troops are switching to a defensive strategy and retreating to previously prepared lines. After all, during the winter-spring offensive of the Russian army, which ingloriously failed, a large part of the troops was engaged in the creation of fortified areas and defense lines.

"It seemed that, going on the offensive, the Russians already understood the inevitability of transitioning to defensive actions," concludes Oleksandr Musienko's story. — Now, considering everything, this moment has come.

I think that now we will see how Russia will emphasize the use of artillery to deter the armed forces. The Russian Federation still has a certain number of shells left.