Retreating to the right bank of the Dnieper River, Russian forces have been ordered to abandon Kherson. It s a necessary defensive action in face of a looming Ukrainian offensive, one designed to shield Crimea from encirclement. However, it s also a very painful submission of defeat on the part of Vladimir Putin.
As the battle for the strategically important city of Kherson looms over the region and Russian occupation authorities deport civilians to the eastern bank of the Dnieper River, civilians in villages under fire are crossing the front line to get to Ukraine-controlled territory.