Russian forces less than 7 km away from Pokrovsk, authorities say.

Russian forces are less than 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the outskirts of the town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast as of Oct.

4, said Serhii Dobriak, the head of Pokrovsk's military administration. The eastern front near Pokrovsk has been the scene of fierce fighting for several months and a focal point of Russia's offensive in Donetsk Oblast. The city is an important logistical hub for Ukrainian forces.

Speaking on national television, Dobriak said that Russia attacked civilian infrastructure in Pokrovsk with guided aerial bombs a day earlier, injuring people. "(Critical infrastructure) is damaged or destroyed by almost 80%. The enemy leaves us without electricity, water, and gas," he added.

Estimated Russian advance in the Pokrovsk sector, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, as of Oct.

4, 2024. (DeepState/OpenStreetMaps)

Residents of the northern part of Donetsk Oblast will be left without water supply for an "indefinite period" due to Russian attacks, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin said on Oct.

3. Around 13,000 people, including 94 children, remain in Pokrovsk as the evacuation is ongoing. The town had a population of around 60,000 in January 2022.

As the security situation deteriorates, Pokrovsk's train station was closed for civilian evacuations earlier this month. Evacuations now depart from the train station in Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a city 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Pokrovsk.

'They attack with quantity:' With Ukrainian soldiers desperately defending Pokrovsk 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.

POKROVSK DISTRICT, Donetsk Oblast - Marked by wide plumes of gray smoke on the horizon, the open fields stretching out southeast of t...