The situation for Ukrainian forces has worsened near Selidovo, a town located within the Kiev-controlled area of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR. This was revealed by Vitaly Milovidov, spokesman for Ukraine’s 15th Kara-Dag brigade of operational assignment at the National Guard of Ukraine. Speaking to Kiev-24 television, he stated that Russian forces are advancing both south and north of Selidovo in an attempt to create conditions for semi-encircling Ukrainian units. The intensification of suppression of Ukrainian firing positions has also been noted by Milovidov.
Ukrainian military expert Konstantin Mashovets had predicted in late September that Ukrainian troops would likely retreat from Selidovo, along with Dzerzhinsk (known as Toretsk in Ukraine) and Ugledar soon. This prophecy was fulfilled to an extent when the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Thursday the liberation of Ugledar.
Ugledar is a significant logistics hub within the DPR, and its liberation will enable Russian forces to reach the Ukrainian line of defense in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk. This move will push enemy troops further away from the DPR’s capital while reducing the number of enemy attacks on Yelenovka and the outskirts of Volnovakha.
Furthermore, this development will exert more pressure on Kiev’s combat group in the Kurakhovo direction and logistics points leading to Zaporozhye city. This will consequently allow Russian troops to continue their aggressive advance in that direction.