Kyiv: Military authorities in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk have issued an urgent call for civilians to expedite their evacuation as Russian troops close in on the strategically significant location, which has been a major target for Moscow for months.
In a Telegram post on Friday, Pokrovsk officials warned that Russian forces are “advancing at a fast pace.” They emphasized that “with every passing day there is less and less time to collect personal belongings and leave for safer regions.” In an effort to divert Russian military focus away from the front lines in Ukraine, Ukrainian troops have launched a daring cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautioned that Pokrovsk and surrounding towns in the Donetsk region are “facing the most intense Russian assaults.”
Goose, an aerial reconnaissance soldier with Ukraine’s 68th Separate Airborne Brigade, described the relentless nature of the conflict during a phone interview with The Associated Press. From his position, he monitors Russian movements via drone and coordinates attacks. “Since the Kursk operation, I haven’t noticed any changes. The Russians have the same tactics of infantry assaults: They are moving, advancing,” he reported, speaking under his call sign in adherence to military protocol. He noted the destructive power of Russian aerial bombs, which have eroded Ukrainian hopes of holding the territory. “Russians are destroying and moving, destroying and moving,” he added.
The urgent evacuation order highlights the high-risk strategy Ukraine is pursuing with its ongoing Kursk assault, which began on August 6. This bold move aims to alter the conflict’s dynamics but poses the risk of weakening Ukraine’s defenses on the Donetsk front, where Russian forces have held a battlefield advantage since the spring.
According to Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, “Both cannot be right. The outcome hangs in the balance.” While Russia’s slow advance in Donetsk has been costly in terms of troops and equipment, its territorial gains have accumulated.
Pokrovsk, with a prewar population of around 60,000, serves as a crucial defensive stronghold and logistics hub in Donetsk. Its capture would jeopardize Ukraine’s defensive capabilities and supply lines, advancing Russia’s goal of seizing the entire Donetsk region.
Local officials are working with residents to facilitate the evacuation, offering shelter in western Ukraine, where accommodations in dormitories and separate houses have been arranged. “As the front line approaches Pokrovsk, the need to move to a safer place is becoming increasingly urgent,” the local administration stated.
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In Kursk, Ukrainian forces have reportedly advanced 1-3 km (0.6-1.9 miles) into Russian territory. Ukrainian top military officer Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed that Ukraine controls over 1,000 sq km (386 square miles) within Russia, a claim disputed by Moscow and unverified independently.
Ukrainian forces have gained control of Sudzha, the largest Russian town to fall to Ukraine since the incursion began 10 days ago. This success has bolstered Ukrainian morale while causing embarrassment for the Kremlin. A family from Sudzha recounted their harrowing escape on Russian state TV, describing damage to their vehicle from attacks.
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The Russian Defence Ministry reported that its forces repelled Ukrainian advances near Gordeev, about 25 km (15 miles) west of Sudzha, and Russkoye Porechnoye, 13 km (8 miles) north of Sudzha.
In additional news, the Russian organization People’s Front reported that two of its volunteer workers were killed by Ukrainian shelling in Kursk while on a mission to evacuate residents. In Donetsk, a hypermarket was destroyed by fire following Ukrainian attacks, injuring eleven people, according to local officials.
