Ukrainian military officials are reporting a critical situation in Selidovo, a city located 20 kilometers from Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. The Russian army has breached into Vishnevoe, targeting the rear of the defending Ukrainian forces. There is a significant presence of Russian troops, while the number of Ukrainian military personnel is notably low, as noted by the commander of a unit from the 24th Separate Assault Brigade "Aidar" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Recently, combat operations have been taking place in residential areas—both in private homes and in multi-story buildings. The occupiers are attempting to operate in small assault groups, almost without armored vehicles.
"It resembles a swarm of mice rushing towards grain, with one cat that doesn’t know what to do," he writes on Telegram.
Russian war correspondents emphasize that the breakthrough in Vishnevoe will cut off supplies and provide a convenient route for the withdrawal of Ukrainian units from Selidovo. Vishnevoe is just over two kilometers from the E50 highway, which connects Selidovo with Pokrovsk. The situation is rapidly approaching a "collapse of the city's defense" due to the flanking advance of the occupiers.
Western military experts believe that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will soon be compelled to leave Selidovo due to the threat of encirclement.
"The Russian offensive in Selidovo and territorial gains to the south and north of the city could soon force Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the area to avoid encirclement," states a report from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Heavy fighting in Selidovo continues, as the Ukrainian forces strive to stabilize the situation. The map provided by the DeepState analyst team does not reflect reality due to security measures for Ukrainian military personnel, stated co-founder Roman Pogorely.
Russian troops are pressuring the Ukrainian forces from the north, south, and east. Recently, there has been a push towards the multi-story buildings from the eastern side, he briefly noted.
In the past 24 hours, the enemy has attacked the city 16 times, including from the vicinity of the settlement of Mikhailovka, as well as from the southern flanks. By deploying a large number of infantry, the Russian Armed Forces are attempting to expand the gray zone and increase fire control areas to the west of Selidovo.
"Regarding activity in urban areas, infantry groups are attempting to establish themselves, setting up observation and firing positions. The enemy is actively using aviation over Selidovo. The outskirts of the city are regularly subjected to artillery shelling, with residential buildings in the private sector constantly being destroyed," says a military source.
In repelling enemy attacks, National Guard troops destroyed one unit of armored vehicles, one buggy, and three cars.
"It must be acknowledged that the occupiers have made gains: effectively, the private sector in the southern and northern parts of Selidovo is under their control. They are infiltrating the multi-story buildings along the main streets of Beregovaya, Tsentralnaya, and Shevchenko, and to the north, they are advancing along Mikhailovskaya Street and along Solenaya to reach the boundaries of the Solnechny microdistrict," explains the expert.
It can be said that the most intense fighting occurred on Nagornaya Street during the Russians' attempts to reach residential buildings to turn them into firing positions. The observer mentions a high infantry saturation of units in Selidovo: recently, the Russian forces "Center" replenished troops for new assaults.
"The situation in Selidovo serves as an example of how the occupying forces will operate starting in 2025. The city's current objective is to exhaust the Russian army as much as possible, so that during their advance on Pokrovsk, they suffer heavy losses," concluded Kovalenko.
British intelligence notes the continuation of fighting in the center of Selidovo. Since the beginning of October, the pace of the occupiers' advance towards Pokrovsk has significantly slowed, with their forces remaining approximately 7 kilometers from the city. Scouts suggest that the aggressor will use the E50 highway as an alternate route for advancing towards Pokrovsk after taking Selidovo.
We recall that the National Guard recently discussed potential new tactics of Russian troops in light of the upcoming cold weather. Motorcycles and vehicles will struggle to traverse washed-out roads.
Active combat clashes are also continuing in the city of Chasov Yar. Russian occupiers have been unable to move forward and establish control beyond the Kanal microdistrict.