Pokrovsk residents flee as Russian forces advance: 60% self-evacuate

In the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, in the city of Pokrovsk, a significant acceleration in the evacuation of residents is being observed. This is due to the approaching front of the Russian army.

Every day, between 500 and 600 people leave the city, informs Serhiy Dobryak, head of the city's military administration, in an interview with Radio Liberty. According to his forecasts, evacuation will be possible for the next two weeks.

Dobryak predicts that in the near future, possibly this week, the city will be forced to introduce compulsory evacuation of children.

Before the outbreak of the armed conflict, 13,700 children lived in the city. There are still 4,788 children in Pokrovsk, which is one-third of that number. "I believe that within the next week, we will reach a point where we will be forced to evacuate the youngest residents," emphasizes Dobryak.

According to the head of the military administration, approximately 60 percent of the residents are leaving Pokrovsk on their own, using private transportation.

Just yesterday, 490 people left the city. Only 135 of them used rail transport. The rest left in their own vehicles, taking their belongings with them. "We have the capacity to evacuate at least 1,000 people daily. We have the necessary resources to accomplish this. The main problem is convincing people to leave the city," reassures Dobryak.

Considering the pace at which the Russian army is approaching Pokrovsk, local authorities estimate that residents have a maximum of two weeks to evacuate.

Authorities are urging the population to leave the city while it is still possible to do so calmly. Currently, all institutions in Pokrovsk are operational, but the head of the military administration predicts they will soon have to cease operations.

As of today, everything is functioning in Pokrovsk. All services are fully provided. This means there is water, electricity, gas, and public transportation. Shops, markets, banks, courts, and the State Migration Service are operational. So far, everything is working. However, we predict that it will slowly come to a halt within the next week, believes Dobryak.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister for the Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk called on citizens to evacuate from Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, and Selydove in the Donetsk region. She added that "the presence of civilians there also hampers the work of the Defense Forces."

At the end of June, around 60,000 people remained in Pokrovsk. The Pokrovsk section remains one of the hottest areas of the front, and the highest number of combat engagements has been recorded there in the past month.

According to experts, Pokrovsk, along with Chasiv Yar, is one of the most operationally important towns in this part of the Donetsk region, controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.