Serhiy Dobriak, head of the city’s military administration, cited by Radio Svoboda, noted that the window for evacuation remains open for another two weeks.
Dobriak indicated that the city may soon enforce a mandatory evacuation for children. "Before the full-scale war, we had 13,700 children. Now, 4,788 children remain, meaning a third are still in the city. I believe that this week we will have to start forcibly evacuating children," he said.
Reportedly, around 60 percent of residents are using their own vehicles to flee Pokrovsk.
"Yesterday, 490 people left; only 135 of them by train. The rest used their own transport, taking their belongings with them, often with trailers. We can easily evacuate at least 1,000 people daily. We have the resources; they just need to leave," Dobriak assured.
Local authorities estimate that residents have a maximum of two weeks to evacuate before the Russian army potentially encircles the city. Although all institutions in Pokrovsk are still operational, Dobriak anticipates that they may soon have to cease functioning due to the escalating conflict.
According to reports, about 60,000 people remained in Pokrovsk as of late June. The area has become one of the most active sectors of the front. Experts highlight that Pokrovsk, along with Chasiv Yar, is among the most strategically significant locations in the Ukrainian-controlled part of the Donetsk region.
(jh)
Source: IAR, PAP, Kyiv Post