Illustrative Image
According to preliminary reports from the front, the Russian army took control of Selidovo, the last large stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine east of Pokrovsk. Russian soldiers filmed the Russian flag being raised on the building of the city administration in the center of Selidovo, claiming that the town was liberated.
The footage was filmed by Russian fighters from the 30th separate reconnaissance battalion of the 90th division from the city of Chebarkul. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is likely to officially declare the full control of Selidovo in the nearest future after the mop up operation on the northwestern outskirts are completed and Russian control of the area around the town is secured.
The main stage of the Russian assault on the streets of Selidovo began on October 20th, when Russian forces launched attacks from the eastern and northern directions in the town and gained a foothold in the residential areas.
Ukrainian forces were in control of apartment buildings where they deployed their firing points and slowed down Russian advance on the streets, but not for a long time. The town was fastly surrounded on the southern and northern flanks. The Ukrainian garrison lost control of important roads west of Selidovo and any military supplies were heavily complicated by Russian fire.
On October 27th, Russian flag was also raised in the village of Vishnevoe located west of Selidovo, where the resisting Ukrainian forces were trying to stop Russian advance around the town but failed.
It is worth noting that the battle for Selidovo was similar to the recent battle for the fortress of Ugledar. After large Ukrainian forces were contained with Russian attacks on the eastern outskirts, flank attacks were launched around the town. The both towns were almost surrounded but Russian forces did not close the cauldrons and there were ways out from the grinder. The last road from Selidovo located northwest of the town was remained under Ukrainian control. There the Ukrainian garrison was fleeing from the town under close Russian fire control.
The battle for Selidovo lasted a week. Other Ukrainian fortresses like Ugledar and Gornyak fell soon after Russian forces entered their streets. This is a clear sign that Ukrainian defense in the Donbass is almost ruined and the Ukrainian military can no longer withstand battles even in the urban areas. Only in the past days, Ukrainian forces lost control of at least 8 settlements, including Bogoyvlenka, Katerinovka, Izmailovka, Alexandropol, Gornyak, Selidovo, Shakhterskoye and Vishnevoye. In some of them Russian mop up operations continue. Clashes are already ongoing in Kurakhovka, Novoselidovka. Ukrainians are fleeing from their positions in all directions, most rapidly in the Pokrovsk, Kurakhovo, Ugledar directions.
The loss of Selidovo is another strategic defeat for the Ukrainian military. There are no more large settlements on the way of the Russian army to Pokrovsk.
of course there was a road left open to retreat, it is unnessecary to let the enemy make a last stand and have extra casualties yourself✌️🫶💪
interesting strategy. in other words, russians want to fight the same ukraine soldiers again and again and again instead of taking them prisoners. i have different explanation. russian commanders count on low morale of the retreating troops and want to demoralize the rest. or they are too lazy to bother with prisoners. or they want the war to take as long a s possible. who knows.
“who knows” , i think you know it lol
the alternative explanation: to save time and save own troops , if possible , the strategy contrary to the nato /ukrainian.
easier ti pick them off on the street than flush them out of fortified buildings duh
but it works only on demoralized and weak enemy unwilling to fight. i don’t expect this is the situation in kursk where all attempts to attack the flanks and cut off supply routes failed miserably. so i would be careful not too make too optimistic conclusions prematurely.
le au tras o europenilor!
kurakhove. sa facem pariurile : pica sau pica incercuit? tot pica!
congrats from czech rep.! lets smash ukrops in pokrovsk