UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT ORDERED AN URGENT EVACUATION OF POKROVSK DUE TO RUSSIAN ADVANCES

Mon 19 August 2024:

Ukrainian authorities have issued an urgent evacuation order for families with children in the eastern city of Pokrovsk, as Russian forces rapidly advance despite Ukraine’s recent incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

Local officials have warned that the situation is dire, with Russian troops advancing so quickly that residents of Pokrovsk and surrounding towns must begin evacuating immediately. The city, home to about 53,000 people, is under increasing threat as Russia’s army closes in, forcing many to flee.

Donetsk governor Vadym Filashkin described the decision to evacuate as “necessary and inevitable,” underscoring the severity of the situation.

Strategic Importance of Pokrovsk

Pokrovsk is a key defensive stronghold and logistical hub for Ukraine in the Donetsk region. Its capture by Russian forces would severely undermine Ukraine’s defense capabilities and supply routes, bringing Russia closer to its goal of controlling the entire Donetsk region.

In an effort to relieve pressure on the eastern front, Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region on August 6. This operation, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, aims to create a buffer zone that could prevent further Russian attacks, particularly with long-range artillery and missiles. The operation remains shrouded in secrecy as it continues.

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Relentless Russian Assault in Donetsk

Russia’s relentless six-month campaign across the Donetsk region, following its capture of Avdiivka, has come at a high cost in troops and equipment. However, the sustained onslaught has gradually forced Ukrainian defenders to retreat from positions devastated by Russian artillery and missile strikes.

Moscow’s ultimate goal is to gain full control over the Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk regions, collectively known as the Donbas.

Residents Urged to Leave Immediately

Officials have given residents of Pokrovsk just two weeks to safely evacuate the city. Last week, authorities warned that Russian forces were only 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the city’s outskirts.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russian troops have been advancing at a rate of roughly two square kilometers (0.8 square miles) per day in the Pokrovsk region over the past six months, using relentless frontal infantry assaults to gain ground.

As evacuation efforts intensify, local officials are meeting with residents to provide logistical support and ensure they have shelter in western Ukraine, where dormitories and houses have been prepared for them.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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