Russian military advances near crucial Ukrainian urban center of Pokrovsk. Escaping, however, proves challenging – even for those with sufficient means.
Halyna, 59, and her spouse Olexey, 61, hail from Selydove, a town situated south of Pokrovsk, which is close to the current focal point of the war in eastern Ukraine. They postponed their departure as long as feasible, persisting even after their pals had departed, with hopes that things would improve.
However, a few days ago, everything altered.
"The bombing was all around us at night. Our home is still intact, but it won't be for long. Everything else has been damaged," Halyna shared with CNN. "Our soldiers came and took us away," she continued.
A nurse and a miner, the couple is among numerous Ukrainians evacuating Pokrovsk and adjacent towns as it becomes increasingly likely that the city may serve as the next significant battleground of the war in Ukraine.
Russian forces have been inexorably advancing towards the city for weeks, but the situation has grown critical in recent days. Moscow is pushing hard to capture Pokrovsk despite its ongoing struggle to manage the Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk frontier region.
Pokrovsk is a prized target for Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly stated that his goal is to seize all of the eastern Ukrainian territories of Donetsk and Luhansk. Pokrovsk lies along a key supply road linking it to other military bases, and serves as the backbone of Ukrainian defenses in the Donetsk region still under Kyiv's control.
The front line is now perilously close, with the fighting audible in the city center. The unmistakable deep thuds of explosions can be heard from the suburbs.
Occasionally, the speedy whistle of Ukrainian counter strikes, fired from farther inland and traversing the city to strike Russian positions to the east.
Serhiy Dobryak, the head of Pokrovsk's military-civilian administration, has been working tirelessly in recent days, striving to persuade individuals to evacuate before it becomes too hazardous or even impossible to do so.
"Most people leave voluntarily, some we have to persuade. We initiated mandatory evacuation for families with children this week," he said, adding that approximately 1,000 people are leaving every day.
But fleeing isn't simple – even for those who can afford it.
Arina, 31, yearns to depart Pokrovsk. She and her spouse operated as dentists in Selydove, which is now too risky to visit.
They're having a tough time finding a place to live. The issue seems to be their son David, a toddler.
"We started packing a week before they declared mandatory evacuation (and) we are looking for an apartment, but nobody wants to rent an apartment to people with children, to refugees," she informed CNN.
"It feels like children are considered animals, especially if they are younger than three. The landlords only allow children older than six or seven or they offer abhorrent apartments for any price they want," she said, perched on a swing at a deserted playground in Pokrovsk.
David was playing in the sandbox, unaware of the chaos surrounding him. He discarded his sandals and was running around barefoot, evidently delighted to have the toys to himself.
Arina took him to the playground to shield him from the chaos at home, feigning that everything was as it should be. On a sunny summer Saturday, the playground would usually be teeming with families with children. But nothing is normal in Pokrovsk now.
David is nearing 3 years old, born merely a few months before the commencement of the full-scale invasion. He knows nothing but the war. "He only began to react to the explosions two months ago. I tell him it's fireworks, I don't want to tell him what's happening. But I've written 'There is a war' in his baby album," she said, tears welling up in her eyes. Arina swiftly wiped them away, not wanting David to witness her crying.
People must live, she said.
Just like many others in the area, the war didn't begin two and a half years ago for Arina. She was in medical school in Donetsk in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and Russian-backed separatists seized substantial swathes of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Nearly 2 million individuals, including Arina, were forced to leave their homes.
"You get used [to fleeing]. And it's horrible that you can get used to such a thing. You have to adapt to a new reality all the time. First you fall into depression and panic. Try to establish a life in a new place. You live and live and then you awaken at five in the morning from (missiles and rockets) flying over your head," she said.
We keep pushing forward. We're functioning, we have clients, our staff who reside here, so we'll stick around for a bit, obviously we won't stick around until the dreadful shelling begins. But for now, it's a possibility, she informed CNN.
However, this is not what Dyachenko desires to hear.
"We educate people that the situation can shift abruptly. I attempt to relay personal tales of individuals we had to evacuate following becoming trapped in Bakhmut or Avdiivka," Dyachenko told CNN. "In Selydove, it felt completely fine one day and then glide bombs started dropping," he stated.
Dyachenko told CNN his men will not forcefully drag anyone out. However, the operation becomes progressively riskier each day. Leaving Pokrovsk is straightforward; folks can simply drive or take an evacuation train. But merely a few miles away, those who hesitated to leave are now being extracted by the police in armored vehicles, at times under fire.
"It gets more and more dangerous," Dyachenko concluded.
Dobryak, Pokrovsk's military-civilian administration head, mentioned that past experiences in the region suggest that about 10% of individuals tend to remain no matter what, hence the city will continue to provide critical services as long as possible.
However, given the rapid advances of Russian forces towards the city in recent days, it appears highly likely that the fighting will worsen and could soon reach the city center.
An officer from one of the Ukrainian brigades fighting in the area stated they have been outnumbered and outgunned by Russian troops, some of whom are from the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic and are knowledgeable about the region.
However, problems exist beyond this as well. The officer stated that communication between the different brigades hasn't been optimal and most of the defenses built in the area were not effective.
Dobryak noted that the city and regional administrations have been informed by the military where and how to build defenses and fortifications – a procedure that began when Moscow launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
He said he is hopeful Pokrovsk's defenses can withstand the attack – but he is aware that it's a daunting task.
"No matter what fortification we possess, they have ten times more men and vehicles. The same goes for artillery rounds. We lost momentum in the winter when we were not receiving the (US) aid package. However, our brave men battle with what they have," he said.
Refugees not welcomed?
Among the multitude of anxious individuals swarming the city's train station on Saturday afternoon, a few appeared determined to depart. Many looked visibly drained and heartbroken; Pokrovsk was their only home.
As the evacuation train prepared to leave, several were in tears, bidding their last goodbyes to loved ones remaining behind.
"Every day, every night, explosions. It was gradually building up, becoming louder and louder every day," Oksana, 37, informed CNN while waiting on the platform. She appeared uneasy, keeping an eye on her two daughters and another on her mother, Liubov.
Oksana's husband, Oleh, 34, was to travel with them on the train, ensuring their safety. But he would then immediately return home. A miner, he required funds – money was tight, and he couldn't afford to abandon his employment.
"I will leave if the mine shuts down and they tell us to leave," he said.
The family hesitated to depart Pokrovsk due to Liubov's recent stroke, which left her unable to communicate or walk. When three police officers in body armor and helmets lifted her onto the train, she appeared utterly unmoved, showing no signs of emotion on her face.
"It became too perilous here. The authorities and the girls' school were urging us to go, most of our friends are also departing," Oksana explained, adding that eventually, she wanted her children – Hanna, 14, and Dasha, 9 – to be settled in a new place prior to returning to school in a week's time.
Similar to most children in the region, the two had been attending online classes throughout the war. In-person education is deemed too hazardous in the vicinity. Earlier this month, a school in Pokrovsk that had been transformed into a shelter was struck by two Russian rockets. It now lies in ruins.
Dasha is about to start fourth grade and, between the war and the Covid pandemic earlier, she had never experienced normal schooling. Yet, her desires are just the same as those of any youngster anywhere.
"When we have our own house, we will receive a dog and a cat," she stated, pointing to the promise her parents had made for after the war. The dog would be a poodle, Dasha said. "The name will depend on the color," she concluded.
However, even as the front line continues to approach, some still remain unwilling to depart. Many have nowhere to go; some feel unwelcome in the rest of Ukraine.
At a butcher shop near the Pokrovsk train station, Oksana, the shopkeeper, expressed her doubts about leaving. "I have two dogs and I am feeding all of the dogs in the area, I have my job, my mother who is over 80 years old and can barely walk, I cannot leave," she told CNN.
"Of course, the authorities are asking us to leave, but where can we go? We don't have any friends or family we could stay with, and no one wants to rent an apartment to people with animals," she stated.
Oksana, aged 47, and various women in the store expressed feelings of abandonment. The Donbas region, encompassing Donetsk and Luhansk areas, has historically been distinct from the rest of the nation, with its economy dominated by mining and heavy industry. Prior to 2014's occurrences, the region thrived, but the war took a toll, causing significant damage.
Many Ukrainians often accused the residents of the Donbas region for causing the war, particularly since some locals welcomed the pro-Russian separatists with enthusiasm initially.
"We were united only when it was Kyiv. Kyiv is crying – the whole country is crying. When Donbas is being attacked and we are being attacked for a long time, there's no mention of a united Ukraine," Oksana stated.
Like the majority of Donbas inhabitants, Oksana is a Russian speaker – a characteristic that distinguishes her from western Ukrainians.
"They say it's Putin's language. I am Ukrainian, but I speak Russian. It's my language, and I use it, even though I understand Ukrainian too," Oksana reported, expressing her reluctance to leave Pokrovsk, her home for 25 years.
On a bench with bags and suitcases, Halyna and Olexey shared that they had no alternative but to stay. Leaving wasn't an option.
"There's no power, no water, the gas was cut off a long time ago. There were explosions everywhere, everything was destroyed," Olexey said, waiting for a car to pick them up.
They are eager to return. They are traveling to Italy to reunite with their daughter who has resided there since 2022. They have not seen their granddaughter in more than two years and fear she won't comprehend them, as she now attends an Italian school. Halyna expressed her excitement to see her daughter and granddaughter again, but insisted on returning to Ukraine, her birthplace.
"I don't want to live in Italy. I want to live in the country I was born in. I want to live here, in my home, in Ukraine," Halyna expressed. "I don't understand Italian, I don't understand English, once we arrive, I won't be able to move around without my daughter. I don't want that," Olexey agreed.
The following day, just 24 hours after leaving their home, Olexey and Halyna found themselves lost in Dnipro. Adapted to their lives in a small town, the couple struggled to adapt to the big city, seeking a cash machine.
They were grappling with their new reality. They are now refugees.
Despite the ongoing war in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to aim for seizing all of the eastern Ukrainian territories of Donetsk and Luhansk, making Pokrovsk a prized target. (containing 'europe', 'world')
Arina and her family are struggling to find a place to live in another city as landlords reject their requests due to their young son, who is still too young to be considered a suitable tenant. (containing 'europe')
