Moscow/Kyiv: Russian forces have moved deeper into eastern Ukrainian towns, pushing closer to the strategic city of Pokrovsk, according to reports from both Russian and Ukrainian military bloggers. This advancement marks a significant point in Moscow’s campaign to consolidate control over critical areas in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
“The enemy advanced in Selydove,” DeepState, an organization closely aligned with the Ukrainian military that specializes in analyzing combat footage, wrote on Telegram late Saturday. The group shared a map showing Russian troops occupying areas in the town’s southeastern section.
For over a week, Russian troops have been engaged in intense fighting in Selydove, a coal mining town in Donetsk. Capturing Selydove is viewed as crucial to Russia’s strategy, as it would provide an entry point to Pokrovsk—a vital logistical hub located about 20 km (12 miles) northwest. According to Russian media outlet SHOT, Moscow’s forces have gained control over approximately 80% of Selydove.
In another development, Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed leader of the Donetsk region, confirmed that Russian forces raised their flag atop a building in Hirnyk, a town positioned roughly 14 km south of Selydove. This report was relayed by Russia’s state news agency, RIA.
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Russian military bloggers have further claimed that Russian forces are on the verge of capturing Kurakhove, a town just southwest of Hirnyk. However, these reports remain unverified by independent sources, including Reuters, and have yet to be confirmed by official Ukrainian channels.
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The Ukrainian Armed Forces issued a statement on Saturday evening, detailing that Ukrainian troops had successfully repelled 36 Russian attacks along the Pokrovsk front within the past day, including in the vicinity of Selydove. They noted that several active battles were still ongoing in the region.
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Moscow’s initial large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 aimed at quickly seizing Kyiv and achieving a sweeping victory. However, after those ambitions proved unattainable, Russian President Vladimir Putin refocused efforts on capturing Ukraine’s eastern industrial region of Donbas, which includes both the Luhansk and Donetsk territories. Despite setbacks, Russian forces have seen notable advances in recent months, making their swiftest progress since March 2022, according to open-source data. This surge occurred even as Ukraine managed to gain control over parts of Russia’s Kursk region.
