Pokrovsk – In Ukraine, as the frontline approaches, a mandatory evacuation has been declared in Pokrovsk, in Donetsk oblast (region) and the surrounding towns and villages, including Selydove, Myrnohrad, and Novohrodivka, effective from 20 August. The evacuation applies to children, families with children, elderly people, and people with reduced mobility, as active hostilities are now occurring less than 10 kilometres from the city. Volunteers, rescuers, authorities are all involved in the evacuation efforts. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is providing medical assistance.
According to local officials, more than 59,000 people reside in Pokrovsk district. They have been urged to take only their most essential possessions and leave their homes. The majority are fleeing the war by train, with carriages fully occupied. Entire families, often accompanied by their pets, are boarding these evacuation trains.
“I left everything behind. It’s a nightmare,” says Raisa Epshtein, a resident of Myrnohrad who recently suffered a stroke. “At night, we trembled and flinched with every explosion. Everything is closed: the market, shops, and pharmacies—they’ve been shut for a long time.”
