Photo: Vadym Filashkin
There are currently 16,000 people, including 177 children, remaining in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Region, and the evacuation of civilians continues.
Vadym Filashkin, head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, shared this information during the United News telethon.
«There are still 16,000 people in Pokrovsk, including 177 children. I thank those who have evacuated and are looking after themselves and their loved ones. Every day, the enemy is shelling the entire Donetsk Region, including Pokrovsk, using all available weapons—guided aerial bombs, artillery, and drones», — Filashkin said.
He added that more than 30,000 people have already been evacuated from Pokrovsk, including over 3,500 children. Filashkin urged civilians to leave Pokrovsk as soon as possible.
As a reminder, earlier that morning, Kropyvnytskyi was attacked by enemy drones. One UAV struck a residential area near the center, damaging a private home. Eyewitnesses reported an explosion, followed by a fire in the area where a summer kitchen and shed were located. A man born in 1983 was killed, and his mother sustained minor injuries.
Igor Khainatsky, who lives two houses away from the victim, shared that the man was a miner and had two children. At around 08:30 in the morning, many people were awake and going about their day, standing at the bus stop and heading to work. Despite the air raid alarm that started at 7 a.m., few people paid attention to it. Ihor initially heard what he thought was a moped, only to realize moments later that it was a strike.
«And literally two seconds later, there was a bang, and we were hit. It was a sudden blow. We quickly ran out and saw flames. Neighbors had already come out and were helping put out the fire. We saw the grandmother, and they managed to get her out safely, though she didn’t want to leave. It wasn’t until later that we learned about the second victim», — Ihor recounted.
«The rescuers received the call at 08:45,» said Oksana Machak, a spokeswoman for the regional emergency service. «The fire spread across 30 square meters and was extinguished around 10 o’clock. A total of 36 rescuers, including pyrotechnics and psychologists, were involved.»
«Our pyrotechnics were deployed, and psychological support was provided to the victims’ relatives. In total, 36 personnel and 7 vehicles were engaged by the Kirovohrad Rescue Service», — added the spokeswoman.
In addition to the house where the fire was centered, neighboring homes were also damaged.
«According to preliminary information, 19 houses in the area sustained damage, including broken windows and damaged roofs», — Machak confirmed.