Maybe you could post a little introduction/welcome text post on the communities you want spared.
As long as there was warning, that seems like a good way to spare small communities that haven't gotten off the ground while getting rid of squatters who aren't interacting at all.
Or if you have to make a content scraper bot, why not say, a Reuters or AP breaking news bot instead of Reddit?
Historically smart money is, far away from large population centers. There's a reason the French monarchy was forced to stay in Paris during the revolution.
Other smart moves would probably be - lose the controversial defense minister, blame it all on him, put Prigozhin in a prestigious but far-away position, wind the war down slowly while trying to find a "Mission Accomplished" moment to try and cool things down with the west, etc.
Almost nobody in a position of power actually does the smart thing in these situations, though. So, my popcorn is ready today. 🍿
It's a tactic as old as rebellion too, though.
"I'm a loyal follower of his majesty, it's the good king's advisors poisoning his mind!"
And then you ride that wave of legitimacy and popular policy (We're gonna stop sending your kids to die for no reason!) into, well, something. Either power, force a compromise, or a horrible death. Seems like that last one was coming from all sides so why not gamble?
Either way I do not believe this is some 4D chess move by Putin. He could leave Ukraine today, throw a parade claiming victory, and I imagine the average Russian would just be glad it's over.
I could see more of a chance to reach the average consumer, once these alternatives get cheaper. Just shifting the dietary Overton window could be huge.
I don't see anybody going vegan because of this, but it might help convince some people that you don't need meat in every meal of the day.
Same, but I am optimistic that decentralization will lead to better options for dealing with the problems as they happen.
Might be unpolished, but at least it is ours.