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War observers said Russian forces were making rapid and “significant tactical advances” into the eastern Ukrainian town of Selydove.

Open source data suggests that Russian forces advanced in September at the fastest pace since March 2022, even as Ukraine captured part of Russia’s Kursk region.

These rapid advances have continued over the past week, as Russian forces appear to be rushing toward – or even into – the town of Selydove, less than 10 miles south of their main target, the larger city of Pokrovsk, a linchpin of the wider city. are defense fortifications of the Donetsk region.

“Russian advances in Selydove as well as territorial gains in the south and north of the city could soon lead to Ukrainian troops withdrawing from the area to avoid being trapped in a collapsing cauldron,” writes the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). ), a US-based think tank.

A Ukrainian frontline mapping project called DeepState, which is known to have close ties to the military, showed on its map that Russian forces control the eastern outskirts of Selydove, while a significant part of the center was classified as a disputed “gray zone.”

“The enemy’s defenses suddenly collapsed,” said Yuri Podolyaka, a prominent Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger. Other pro-Russian bloggers made similar reports, saying Russia now has control over part of Selydove.

Russia’s months-long assault toward Pokrovsk has seen Moscow seize around 300 square miles of territory since capturing the city of Avdiivka in February.

This comes at a high price, as Western intelligence officials estimate that Russia has suffered its highest monthly military personnel losses in recent months since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began, averaging between 1,000 and 1,200 per month.

Nevertheless, a wide bulge can now be seen extending from the Russian front line into Ukrainian-held territory in the Donetsk region.

The region covers half of the territory known as Donbass – the other half is Luhansk, which is almost entirely controlled by Russia – and has been the scene of fighting between Russia and Ukraine since 2014.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made no secret of his desire to control the entire Donbass.

But with the main point of attack at Pokrovsk stalled, the attack has spread to several points, to Toretsk and Niu-York north of the Bulge and to Kurakhove to the south.

Selydove, which lies between Kurakhove and Pokrovsk, has now become the focal point of the Russian southern attack.

Ukraine’s General Staff said the fiercest Russian attacks along the entire front line were currently taking place near Selydove and that Russia had deployed both fighter and bomber aircraft there to support its attack.

The General Staff did not say whether the Russians were in the city or whether Ukrainian forces had fallen back.

However, doubts remain that the attack on Selydove could have such an impact on the possible takeover of Pokrovsk.

“Russia may well take Selydove in the coming days, but taking Selydove does not necessarily mean taking Pokrovsk, and in fact taking Selydove has likely depleted and worn down Russian forces in a way that is likely to diminish their combat effectiveness if.” “They are ordered to concentrate on Pokrovsk,” writes ISW.