Kremlin news agencies publish and then delete information about withdrawal of Russian troops from Dnipro river
Russian government agencies published and then deleted information about the "redeployment" of Russian troops on the left bank of the Dnieper River. On the morning of Monday, November 13, news appeared on Telegram channels and on the websites of RIA Novosti and TASS that the Dnieper troop grouping would be moved "to more advantageous positions" to the east of the Dnieper, and then both agencies wrote that the information was "published erroneously."
"We apologize to our subscribers and readers," TASS said. As the news website Meduza points out, in the deleted messages, the agencies quoted the Russian Defense Ministry, although this news was not published on the ministry's Telegram channel.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied reports of a possible retreat from the left bank of the Dnipro ricer. "The distribution of false information about the 'redeployment' of troops in the Dnieper area allegedly on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Defense's press center is a provocation," the ministry said in response to an inquiry from the news agency RBC.
"Assessing the situation that has developed, the command of the Dnieper group decided to move troops to more advantageous positions to the east of the Dnipro river. After the regrouping, 'Dnipro' will release a part of its forces, which will be used in the offensive on other directions," Radio Svoboda quotes the deleted statement. Russian state news agencies often receive updates from the Ministry of Defense in advance.
The wording of 'moving troops to more advantageous positions' has already been used by Russian official sources before and meant the retreat of the Russian Armed Forces. In similar fashion, Russian state media reported on the retreat of Russians in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions in 2022."