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Around 500 people evacuated from Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast monthly, authorities say

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Around 500 people evacuated from Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast monthly, authorities say
Photo for illustrative purposes. Raisa Lishchenko, 82, from the town of Selidove, is evacuated at the railway station of Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, on February 24, 2024. (Photo by Anatolii Steapnov/AFP via Getty Images)

About 500 people are being evacuated from the frontline town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast every month, city administration head Serhii Dobriak told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on July 29.

The Pokrovsk sector has been the scene of fierce fighting for several months, where Russia's offensive in Donetsk Oblast is at its most intense. Ukrainian troops fended off 36 attacks in this area alone during the day, the General Staff said in its latest update.

According to Dobriak, 60,000 people, including 4,000 children, remain in Pokrovsk. Another 4,000 children have been evacuated.

"Today the town is 20 kilometers from the front line. We are fulfilling the tasks (on the construction of fortifications) set by the military leadership. No more, no less," the head of the city's military administration said.

Ukrainian authorities have faced criticism for slow progress on fortifying defensive lines. In March, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine was building 2,000 kilometers of fortifications across three lines of defense, adding that the "task is massive, but the pace is good."

The third line of fortifications in Donetsk Oblast being built by civilians was 90% complete as of late June, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

Russian forces have captured the villages of Vovche and Prohres in the Pokrovsk sector, the crowd-sourced monitoring website DeepState claimed on July 27, though the reports have yet to be officially confirmed by Kyiv.

Eye of the storm: A day in the life of Ukrainian infantry on the zero line near Toretsk
Editor’s note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. DONETSK OBLAST – There was already little resembling a road in front of the driver by the time the old pickup truck’s headlights were
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Kateryna Denisova

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Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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