Our journalist Oleksiy Kutsuk spoke on Hromadske Radio about the current situation in Pokrovsk.
According to Oleksiy, the situation in Pokrovsk is very bad. There is significant destruction, much of it recent. There are craters from rockets and artillery shelling. Oleksiy and his team managed to speak with residents and had unofficial conversations with representatives of the State Emergency Service, who are responsible for the evacuation.
«From the State Emergency Service, we learned that in addition to artillery and rockets, enemy FPV drones are very active in Pokrovsk. This hinders the evacuation. People are constantly staying in basements. State Emergency Service employees, driving into the settlement in armored vehicles, are constantly under fire. Literally at the entrance to the city, they can receive 2-3 drone hits and are forced to turn around and flee.»
According to the representatives of Ukrzaliznytsia, the evacuation is going well. Every day, many people come from all over the area, including from Pokrovsk. People say that the experiences of Bakhmut and other cities have shown that evacuation should be taken seriously and that people should leave in advance. People are also leaving in their cars, transporting TVs, appliances, household items on trailers, and taking animals with them.
Oleksiy Kutsuk mentions that everyone is helping with the evacuation: the State Emergency Service, authorities, and volunteers.
«The cannonade in Pokrovsk does not stop for a second. We constantly hear shelling and explosions. People are afraid, but despite this, many remain in the city and district, including children. Even when alarms sound, few people take shelter. Shops, pharmacies, and even coffee shops are open. Many people still go to shops, stand in queues, and do not think about leaving. There is no panic among the residents, but the mood is, of course, depressed.«
On August 26, the occupiers began a massive shelling of Ukraine with missiles and Shahed-type attack drones. Explosions occurred in several cities, with reports of casualties, including one death.
In Kyiv, explosions occurred several times: first as a result of a drone attack, and later after a missile strike. There were reports of air defense operations. The explosions caused power outages in some parts of the city.