Occupants captured Ukrainian defence lines between Avdiivka and Pokrovsk

Russian forces have seized Ukrainian defense lines between the previously occupied Avdiivka and Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. At the same time, Pokrovsk is being evacuated as the Russians advance. This was reported by military correspondent Anna Kalyuzhna on Hromadske Radio.

“Several defense lines between Avdiivka and Pokrovsk are already occupied by the enemy. This is one of the reasons why the enemy is advancing so quickly. The defense is not static now but maneuverable. Our troops are retreating in some places either under pressure or due to a lack of coordination. The density of fire in the Pokrovsk direction is very high», — the journalist said.

She mentioned that she worked at one of the stabilization points in the Pokrovsk direction. Many wounded were brought in during the day. Combat medics at the stabilization point said they could not remember the last time they had seen such a large number of wounded.

“One day, there were more than 20 wounded. Most were lightly injured but had contusions. The previous day, there were also up to 20 wounded at this stabilization point», — the journalist added.

At the same time, even light injuries worsen the situation at the front.

“It was a shock for me to learn that even if a person was scratched by shrapnel, I thought he would recover in several days. But in reality, such a person is out for a month or longer. It depends on how long the wounds take to heal, ensuring there is no infection or serious consequences. And these dozens of soldiers are leaving, with no rapid replenishment of people to replace them. Because of this, the defense is weakening, and we are retreating», — Kalyuzhna said.

Regarding the preparations in the city for the Russian offensive, the journalist declined to say whether there are any defense lines but noted that the city is being evacuated.

“All the shops are leaving. Nothing works anymore. Only small grocery stores are open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meanwhile, cosmetics, home appliances, and other stores are being evacuated and taken away», — said Anna Kalyuzhna.

She also refused to say how close the frontline is to Pokrovsk, noting that according to publicly available data, it is about ten kilometers away. At the same time, the journalist added that when the frontline was 15-16 kilometers from the city, sporadic shelling from Ukrainian artillery, targeting Russians, could be heard in the city. Now, according to her, both Ukrainian and Russian artillery can be heard in apartments in the center of Pokrovsk.

Nevertheless, Pokrovsk is still considered a frontline town, while the frontline is now near Myrnohrad.

According to Kalyuzhna, the Russians are using all types of weapons in the Pokrovsk sector, but most of the military injuries are due to attacks from FPV drones. The number of those injured as a result of mortar attacks is much lower. Kalyuzhna also noted that before the assaults, the Russians conduct «artillery training,» shelling Ukrainian positions. Additionally, in the Pokrovsk sector, the occupiers use small group assault tactics around the clock.