Evacuation Drama: Elderly Citizens Flee Pokrovsk Amid Russian Advance

Mariia Moiseieva, a 94-year-old bedbound woman, is being evacuated from Pokrovsk, Ukraine, as Russian forces inch closer to the city. This marks her second displacement since the invasion began. Evacuations are underway for many residents, with significant logistical challenges and deepening crises unfolding.

Mariia Moiseieva observed from her bed as a relative packed her belongings into plastic bags, preparing the 94-year-old for evacuation from the embattled city of Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine.

Volunteers hoisted Moiseieva from her bed using a makeshift sling, carrying her downstairs to a waiting van. She joined other elderly and vulnerable individuals in a mass evacuation effort, prompted by authorities' warnings that Russian troops are merely 10 km (six miles) away.

This evacuation marks the second time Moiseieva has had to flee since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Having previously abandoned her home in Bakhmut, captured by Russian forces in May 2023, she and many others now face the turmoil of relocation once more. 'Everyone is in panic, people are running away,' her relative Liudmyla Sydorenko told Reuters.

Amid the ongoing evacuation, Pokrovsk—an essential logistics hub in Donetsk—remains under severe threat. The city's strategic position has rendered it a focal point for Russian military advances, compelling authorities to urge all civilians to evacuate. Volunteer Roman Koltsov from 'East SOS' emphasized the urgency: 'The situation in Pokrovsk and nearby towns has deteriorated.'

Despite the fierce fighting and increased shelling, some residents are reluctant to leave their homes. Efforts by Ukrainian forces to divert Russian attention, including an incursion into Russia's Kursk region, have yet to yield visible results.

(With inputs from agencies.)