Ukraine War Map Reveals Significant Russian Gains in Frontline Town

Russian troops have made “significant” gains around Selydove in recent days, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) whose map shows the latest state of play in the frontline Donetsk region town.

Geolocated footage from Tuesday and Wednesday showed Russian advances in the northeast of the town with elements of the Russian 114th Motorized Rifle Brigade in the area.

The ISW map showed some of these reported gains by Moscow in the area from both Ukrainian and Russian sources, including the capture this week of the towns of Izmailivka, Krasnyi Yar and Hrodivka.

The Russian military blogger Two Majors posted video on Telegram of troops the channel said were from the 433rd Red Banner Motorized Rifle Regiment on top of a building, one of whom was holding a Russian flag.

The post said that with “decisive actions, our troops broke the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the city center,” adding, the Russian army is moving west.

However, the ISW said that Moscow’s focus on Selydove has come at the expense of their offensive drive towards Pokrovsk, the strategic hub whose capture is Russia’s operational objective on this sector of the front.

Russian advances into Selydove and to the south and north of the town may soon cause Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the area to avoid being trapped, the ISW said but even its capture in the coming days does not necessarily mean they will seize Pokrovsk.

It added that the seizure of Selydove will have “exhausted” Russian forces, weakening them if they are ordered to pivot towards Pokrovsk.

Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets wrote on Telegram that while a large number of Russian troops are committed to the entire Pokrovsk front, these forces are bogged down in attacks on Selydove. A prominent Russian milblogger agreed with this analysis, adding that Moscow’s push to seize Pokrovsk is “stalling.”

Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Thursday that Kyiv’s forces had repelled 38 Russian assaults on the Pokrovsk front and that 148 combat clashes had taken place over the past day.

In a Facebook post, the Ukrainian military said that “the situation on the battlefield remains difficult. The enemy, using their advantage in manpower and equipment, is attacking our positions relentlessly.”

“Ukrainian defenders are steadfastly holding off the occupiers’ pressure and inflicting significant losses on the enemy,” added the post, cited by Ukrainska Pravda.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries for comment.