Illustrative photo of the aftermath of shelling in Donetsk Region/Photo: Vadym Filashkin
The coordinator of the Shid SOS evacuation project, Yaroslav Kornienko, reported that the hotline is overwhelmed with calls concerning the evacuation of the Pokrovsk district.
He made this statement on Hromadske Radio.
«Pokrovsk itself is currently being evacuated, but at a less intense pace. I urge everyone to evacuate as soon as possible. If 50,000 people suddenly attempt to evacuate at the same time, there will be significant logistical challenges,» Kornienko warned.
He further explained that people are «not very willing to leave Pokrovsk». The city has been near the war zone for 10 years.
«For the past two years, it has served as the most important logistics hub in Donetsk Oblast. Residents have grown accustomed to the level of shelling occurring there. Typically, people do not want to leave their region, and Pokrovsk is no exception. As a result, many hope that things will improve and that evacuation won’t be necessary,» the evacuation coordinator said.
He emphasized that those who delay evacuation until the last minute will face difficulties leaving later.
«If 20,000 people try to leave by car at the same time, there will be massive traffic jams, with long lines of vehicles. While the state does provide accommodation options for those with nowhere to go, there are currently not enough places for 50,000 people. Many will have to find housing on the fly,» Kornienko explained.
He concluded by noting that several charitable organizations are currently creating a comprehensive map of shelters across the country. They can be used during the evacuation.
As a reminder, the Russian military has occupied Mykolaivka in the Kramatorsk district of Donetsk Region. City of Pokrovsk is being less than 20 kilometers away. This is evidenced by DeepState data. The situation at the front was discussed on Hromadske Radio with Roman Pohorilyi, co-founder and analyst of DeepState.
Roman Pohorilyi notes that when comparing our resources with the enemy’s, we have always been at a disadvantage. This imbalance is also evident in Pokrovsk. The Russians have a quantitative advantage, primarily in manpower. Their artillery, aviation, and equipment are also active.
Small groups are one of the main tactics of the Russians. They have used this approach consistently, especially when their primary force was infantry. This was seen in the Siversk and Chasovyi Yar areas.