From recent news:

• 2k+ families asked and 1.8+kkk rubles were submitted to help them emmigrate from the region, in the same day. There was nothing like that in Belgorod, or in regions that got flooded earlier this year. It's still not that much, like $7k per family, but the speed they reacted on it is still sensational.
• It's suspected by some z-bloggers that the second line of defence was held by Ahmat soldiers who promptly left leaving the first line on their own, what probably caused these territorial gains and surrenders. No proofs yet.
• Local admins authorized special conditions on that territory, like in natural disaster, and yet to suggest a military curfew or something alike to that.

It seems, municipalities and Kremlin are confused what to do there, but they seem afraid and unprepared. Some people link it to the end of POW-trade. Idk ukrainian plans, but if they'd take and hold it until autumn, it'd be a pain in the ass to make something about then.