# Battle of Selydove

The battle of Selydove was fought during the Russian invasion of Ukraine for control of the city of Selydove. Fighting around the city intensified in mid-August as part of Russia's Pokrovsk offensive in the south of the Donbas and culminated in the beginning of the battle on 27 August 2024, with the eventual capture of the city by the end of October.

## Background

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, multiple high rise buildings and the central city hospital were shelled by the Russian Armed Forces. On 14 November 2023, according to State Emergency Service of Ukraine, at least 2 civilians were killed and 3 injured; 1 private residential building was destroyed, a 4-story residential building was partially destroyed, 16 private and 7 apartment buildings were damaged. Attacks on 21 November 2023and 14 February 2024 partially destroyed, among other buildings, several buildings of Central city hospital (3 people were killed and several injured in each attack).

### Prelude to the battle

Following Russia's success in the battle of Avdiivka, their forces began conducting rapid advances, taking large amounts of territory west of Avdiivka. During the 2024 summer, Russia's Pokrovsk offensive began, following the capture of Prohres that caused a significant collapse of the frontline in the south-east. In late August, Selydove became a frontline city of the war. As part of an offensive effort to capture the strategic city of Pokrovsk, Russian forces advanced south of Pokrovsk, nearing the outskirts of Ukrainsk and Selydove, capturing the nearby settlements south-east of Novohrodivka of Memryk and Kalynove. According to The Kyiv Independent, fighting over the city began shortly after these advances.

## Battle
### Initial Russian assault on the city

On 27 August, Russia reportedly advanced into Selydove following a Ukrainian withdrawal from certain positions in the city, entering the eastern part of the city, likely through further advances within Mykhaikivka. On 29 August, Selydove's center was claimed to have been reached by Russian forces. Following Russian force's penetration into the city, Ukrainian reinforcements arrived by the start of September; these newly deployed units took advantage of Russia's stalled momentum, successfully counterattacking and pushing Russian forces to the eastern outskirts of the city. Subsequently, Ukraine had successfully been able to repel the initial Russian attack through the east of the city.

### Encirclement of the city by Russian Forces

As a result of failing to capture Selydove through the eastern urban assault, Russian forces reportedly shifted their tactics near Selydove away from frontal assaults to employing small groups moving through covered areas. In late September, an advance along the Donetsk–Pokrovsk highway to the north of Selydove was described by the ISW as "an effort by Russian forces to bypass the city altogether", with Russian sources corroborating this view by saying that these movements were aimed at encircling Selydove. Russian forces continuously made new advances east of Selydove in mid-October, and a Ukrainian soldier said on 16 October that efforts were being made to both enter the outskirts of Selydove itself and to bypass the city. These assaults were also concentrated on cutting the roads that supplied Selydove, with 3 of the 5 roads being reportedly severed by 18 October.
A Ukrainian military expert on 19 October said that Russian forces aimed to bypass the local slag heaps in Selydove and force a Ukrainian retreat by continuing their encirclement efforts, and that the capture of these would allow for fire control over the surroundings of Pokrovsk. On 20 October, Russian milbloggers said that intense "street by street" fighting was taking place between Russian and Ukrainian forces on the outskirts of the city. On 22 October, the commander of the Aidar's 24th Separate Assault Brigade, Stanyslav Bunyatov, stated that half of the city was captured by Russian forces, citing lack of manpower as an issue, with DeepStateMap confirming these gains. Russian forces were able to hoist their flag in the central part of Selydove, with the ISW stating that Russia had made "significant tactical advances" both in and around the city. Russian forces' advances to the outskirts of the village of Vyshneve in late October further deteriorated Ukrainian control over the supply lines to the city, subsequently causing the near encirclement of Selydove as the majority of its roads had been cut-off or were under fire control from Russian artillery.
By 27 October, DeepStateMap showed that Russian forces had advanced and occupied most of the city, with the north-western outskirts remaining disputed territory. Russian sources claimed on 27 October that the entire city had been captured, with the Russian Ministry of Defence declaring the capture of Selydove on 29 October.

## Significance of the battle

The capture of Selydove was crucial for a multitude of reasons. The city's capture meant that a gateway for Russian forces was opened to advance through the western parts of the Donetsk Oblast and potentially even enter Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. In addition, it was significant in the context of Russia's Pokrovsk offensive as it could be seen as facilitating the possible encirclement of the vital logistics hub of Pokrovsk through the severing of its southern and western roads, thus furthering the territorial acquisitions within the Donbas, which is a stated Russian goal. Furthermore, according to Meduza, the city's capture holds importance on more local battles, namely that it would threaten the city of Kurakhove, an important logistical hub for the southern Donbas. It would essentially provide a stable ground from which Russian forces could reach the Kurakhove Reservoir and effectively encircle the city.