The fall of Selydove will give Russian forces control over vital ground along the E50 road, compromising Ukraine‘s southern defence line to Pokrovsk.
Selydove is a coal mining town located 13 km south-east of Pokrovsk, the main logistics hub in eastern Ukraine.
The capture of Selydove by Russia could open a new route leading to Pokrovsk, a vital logistics hub. The intensifying ground attack, coupled with the increasing drone attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, suggests that Russia is mounting an coordinated campaign to exploit vulnerabilities within Ukraine’s defenses, and strain its resources, as winter approaches.
According to the UK Ministry of Defense the town is still contested and fighting will likely continue in the town centre. Selydove is a major urban area that screens the southern flank of Pokrovsk and the E50 highway, which connects Selydove with Pokrovsk.
Since the beginning October 2024 the rate of Russian forces’ advance towards Pokrovsk has slowed down significantly. Russian troops are still within 7 km of the town.
Recently, the Russian Armed Forces directed resources to the southern part of axis. They targeted Selydove while partially encircling it. According to British military analyst, Russia is likely to use the E50 as a secondary route to advance towards Pokrovsk in case Selydove falls.
Unmanned aerial attacks on a large scale are increasing
The UK military intelligence also reports that Russia launched more than 1,300 “One Way Attack Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (OWA-UAVs),” into Ukraine in September 2024.
This is the highest number OWA-UVAs launched within a single month since the beginning of the full-scale Russian Invasion in 2022. On the basis of current rates, it’s almost certain that Russia surpasses that number in October 2020.
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