The heroic defense of the city of Selidove in the Donetsk region thwarted the Russian occupiers' plans for a quick offensive on Pokrovsk and changed the balance of forces in that direction. As Oleksandr Musienko, head of the Center for Military and Legal Research, explained, the two-month defense of Selidovoy gave Ukrainian forces the opportunity to gain a foothold, take new positions and slow down the enemy's advance.
"This resistance not only delayed the enemy, but also made a large-scale attack on Pokrovsk impossible, because the enemy could not quickly regroup and concentrate forces for such an operation," said Musienko on the air of the telethon.
The Ukrainian military, holding the defense of Selidovoy, actually conducted a deterrent operation, exhausting the enemy's forces. Thanks to this, Pokrovsk got additional time to prepare for a possible offensive.
However, Musienko warns that if Selidove is lost, it will open up new opportunities for the occupiers to attack Pokrovsk from the southern flank and improve their position for shelling in that direction. In this case, the next strike may also threaten the city of Kurakhove, which will become a new target for Russian forces.
In the Kurakhiv direction, the enemy has already become more active: "Russian units are pushing from the north-eastern direction, trying to align the front line for further advance," Musienko noted. In his opinion, in the coming weeks we can expect the battle for Kurakhove, which can become another difficult test for the Ukrainian forces. The Russian army is already concentrating its resources there, intending to deliver a significant blow.
Thus, the defense of Selidovoy is a decisive stage in the overall defense strategy of Ukraine in the east. It not only restrains the aggressor in the Pokrovsky direction, but also allows the preparation of new defensive lines, which will strengthen Ukrainian positions before the next challenges.
