Ukrainian authorities have urgently ordered families with children to evacuate the eastern city of Pokrovsk as Russian forces rapidly advance, despite a recent Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.
Local officials warned that Russian troops are moving so quickly that families in Pokrovsk and surrounding towns and villages must begin evacuating on Tuesday. Approximately 53,000 people still reside in Pokrovsk, although some have already fled as Russia’s military draws closer.
Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin described the evacuation order, issued on Monday, as “necessary and inevitable.”
Pokrovsk is a critical defensive stronghold and logistical hub for Ukraine in the Donetsk region. If captured by Russian forces, who have been advancing since their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it would severely compromise Ukraine’s defensive capabilities and supply routes, bringing Russia closer to its objective of seizing the entire Donetsk region.
In an effort to alleviate pressure on the eastern front, Ukraine launched an unexpected incursion into Russia’s Kursk region on August 6. This move aimed to unsettle the Kremlin and force it to divert military resources. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Sunday that the incursion seeks to create a buffer zone to prevent further attacks by Moscow, particularly with long-range artillery, missiles, and glide bombs. The operation continued under tight secrecy on Monday.
Russia’s relentless six-month campaign across Ukraine’s Donetsk region, following the capture of Avdiivka, has been costly in terms of troops and equipment. However, the assault has gradually forced Ukrainian defenders to retreat from positions devastated by Russian artillery, missiles, and bombs.
Russia is determined to gain control of the entire Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk regions, which together comprise the Donbas.
In Pokrovsk, residents have just two weeks to evacuate safely, officials told the United States-funded Radio Liberty in an interview. Last week, officials warned that Russian forces were advancing rapidly and were just 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the city’s outskirts.
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