Russia takes control of strategic city in Donetsk region

According to Sputnik, on October 30, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video taken from the city of Selydove in the Donetsk People's Republic, showing Russian forces destroying the enemy and controlling key positions.

The footage shows assault units of the 15th and 30th Motorized Rifle Brigades of the Tsentr Combat Group, operating in their respective areas of responsibility and supported by an armored group, quickly penetrating the forests and destroying enemy positions in fortified positions. At the same time, squadrons of unmanned aerial vehicles attack enemy manpower and equipment, helping the attackers advance.

As Russia gains control of more territory in the east, Ukraine is planning to call up 160,000 more soldiers. The Ukrainian military has come under severe pressure recently, partly due to Russia adding more manpower and resources.

“We plan to mobilize 160,000 more troops,” Oleksandr Lytvynenko, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security Council, told parliament on October 29.

AFP news agency reported that this military mobilization process will take place within 3 months.

The announcement comes as Ukraine is mobilizing troops for an offensive in Russia's Kursk region, which began in August. The latest mobilization comes after the Ukrainian parliament passed a law in April to send in more troops to counter Russian forces.

Ukraine's new law requires all men between the ages of 25 and 60 to visit a military recruitment office to submit their details to an electronic database, either in person or remotely, within 60 days. Ukrainian men abroad need this document to use consular services.

For its part, Moscow has announced that its forces have taken control of all of Selydove in the Donetsk region as well as the surrounding villages. The city of Selydove covers an area of ​​more than 11 square kilometers and has a pre-war population of more than 21,000. It is considered a key checkpoint in the southeast of Pokrovsk, a key urban area controlled by Ukraine in the Donetsk region. If it captures Selydove, the Russian army will make a significant step forward in its campaign against Pokrovsk. Pokrovsk is a strategically important transport hub, located just 18 kilometers from Selydove.