Over 7,000 civilians remain in Pokrovsk, evacuations slow down

This was announced by Serhiy Dobryak, head of the Pokrovsk city military administration, during a broadcast on Suspilne.

"The security situation here is worsening. For weeks now, Russians have been bombarding us with artillery, guided aerial bombs when the weather allows, and constant FPV drone attacks — they’ve been torturing us. Right now, the evacuation pace has dropped slightly — only five to ten people are leaving per day," he said.

Dobryak stated that ten days ago, the city had 7,500 residents. Today, that number is down to 7,300.

He added that Russian drone strikes have caused major damage to municipal equipment, including garbage trucks and water supply vehicles. These attacks have continued for seven weeks.

Only a handful of shops and pharmacies are still open in Pokrovsk. Employees of the territorial center are actively trying to persuade elderly residents to leave the community, Dobryak said. Municipal workers are continuing to collect garbage, and funeral services remain operational.

In some areas of the city, municipal workers are focused on preserving buildings wherever possible. However, their main efforts are concentrated in Rodynske and settlements where the security situation still allows them to work.

Dobryak also mentioned that the mines have ceased operation. District heating workers have set up two independent boiler rooms to provide heating for hospitals.

• On January 3, reports indicated that the Russian army had taken control of Dachenske, Novyi Trud, and Vovkove in the Pokrovsk district and advanced near five additional settlements.