In a significant move, Ukrainian authorities have issued a directive on Monday for families with children to urgently evacuate the eastern city of Pokrovsk. This evacuation order comes amid the advancing Russian army, which has been steadily progressing across Ukraine’s Donetsk region for six months since overtaking Avdiivka.
Local officials have emphasized the swift advancement of Russian forces, prompting the evacuation of families from Pokrovsk and surrounding towns and villages. Currently, approximately 53,000 residents still reside in Pokrovsk, according to officials.
The sustained attacks on Ukrainian strongholds in Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk have inflicted heavy losses on Russia in terms of troops and military equipment. The relentless assault has forced Ukrainian defenders to retreat from positions decimated by Russian artillery, missiles, and bombs.
To alleviate the mounting pressure, Kyiv initiated an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region on August 6th, with the aim of creating an unforeseen front to unsettle the Kremlin and force it to divide its military strength.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed on Sunday that the bold incursion seeks to establish a buffer zone to deter potential further aggression from Moscow, particularly using long-range weaponry such as artillery, missiles, and glide bombs.
The ongoing Ukrainian operation, conducted with utmost secrecy, continues in Pokrovsk. Officials have set a two-week timeline for residents to evacuate the city safely, as per information shared with U.S.-funded Radio Liberty. With Russian forces reportedly just 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the city’s outskirts, the urgency for evacuation remains high.
Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, revealed on Monday the occurrence of “heavy battles” in the Pokrovsk vicinity. The nearby town of Toretsk is also under significant pressure, as its capture could pave the way for a Russian advance on the strategic stronghold of Chasiv Yar from the southern direction.
The Institute for the Study of War highlighted the Russian forces’ gradual advancement of approximately two square kilometers (0.8 square miles) per day in the Pokrovsk region over the last half-year. The Washington-based think tank noted that Russian troops have been employing frontal infantry assaults village by village to make incremental progress.
Owing to its prewar population of around 60,000, Pokrovsk stands as a vital defensive bastion and logistical center in the Donetsk region. Its seizure would severely impede Ukraine’s defensive capabilities and supply lines, edging Russia closer to its objective of capturing the entire Donetsk region.
Officials from Pokrovsk have initiated meetings with residents to relay logistical specifics regarding the evacuation. Affected individuals have been extended offers of shelter in western Ukraine, where dormitories and individual residences await to accommodate them.
