Brief report from the front, October 17, 2024

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are preparing Kurakhovo for a long-term defense. By Marat Khairullin with illustrations by Mikhail Popov.

South of Chasov Yar, units of the Russian Armed Forces broke through the enemy's defenses and reached the area of ​​mine No. 9 southeast of workshop No. 2 of the Chasov Yar Refractory Plant. Our soldiers broke through the forest from the previously occupied intersection and took control of the territory of the garbage dump and industrial building to the west of it. This was preceded by massive artillery bombardment of the area over several days.

In the Selidovo section of the Donetsk direction, the Russian armed forces continue to encircle the village of Selidovo from the flanks. In the north of the city, they have secured a foothold south of the M30 (E50) highway and have advanced along the forest belt in a western direction. Gradually, our forces are beginning to press the waste heaps of the Korotchenko mine (the waste heaps, like the mine itself, are under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces), advancing towards them and expanding control from the east and northeast. In the industrial zone itself, our fighters managed to gain a foothold on buildings in its eastern part. Heavy fighting is underway.

The fighting zone is expanding into the dacha areas in the east of Selidovo. From the south of the city, our units advanced further along the railway and also dislodged the enemy from his positions in one of the forest belts going in the direction of the Selidovo-Novodmitrovka road, along which the Ukrainian Armed Forces are supplied. Part of the forest belt came under the control of our soldiers. Thus, our forces are breaking through to this road in several areas. Today, this is the only road connecting Selidovo with Kurakhovo, along which supplies are supplied from Pokrovsk with the shortest logistical shoulder.

In the Kurakhovsky direction, our armed forces have liberated the settlement of Maksimilyanovka. There are about three kilometers left to the most important fortified area in this area, into which Kurakhovo has been turned. The enemy is preparing the city for a long defense, strengthening the barriers in front of it. This includes equipping new sections of minefields to contain our armored vehicles.

It should be taken into account that an extensive system of strong points of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has already been built there. The Russian Aerospace Forces, artillery, and flamethrower systems of the TOS will be of great importance in breaking through such defenses. All of this is actively used in the area.