The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday that they had taken control of the Ukrainian town of Selydove, located southeast of the key city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. This strategic advancement comes as part of Russia's ongoing assault and incremental territorial gains in eastern Ukraine.
Reports from the frontline indicate that Russian forces have been advancing on Selydove over the past few weeks. The town served as an important staging area for Ukraine's defenses and a crucial foothold to prevent Russia's further advance towards Pokrovsk.
While the Russian Defense Ministry claims control of Selydove, Ukrainian authorities have not yet issued a statement regarding these claims.
A spokesperson for a Ukrainian national guard brigade fighting in Selydove revealed that the town had been under constant attack from multiple directions for a week. The spokesperson highlighted that Russian forces were deploying large troop numbers and utilizing reserves from the north to increase pressure on Selydove.
Video footage released by Russian state media TASS showed troops raising the Russian flag in Selydove, further confirming the claim of control by Russian forces.
Additionally, Russia continued its aerial assaults on Ukrainian cities overnight into Tuesday, resulting in casualties. At least nine Ukrainian individuals were killed and 46 injured in attacks on cities such as Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Kyiv. In the Odesa region, a 71-year-old man lost his life due to falling debris following a missile strike launched by a Russian fighter jet from the Black Sea.
In Kharkiv, a Russian bomb destroyed a significant portion of the Derzhprom building, a renowned cultural landmark known for its modernist architecture.
