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Life On The Edge: Inside Pokrovsk, Ukraine's Besieged Frontline City, As Russian Forces Close In

There are currently some 16,000 people living in the strategic city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region; 177 of them are children. The evacuation of the city continues, as Russian forces advance.

A line of defense is being prepared around Pokrovsk itself. The Russian Army is believed to be just kilometers away from the city.

How do people live in a frontline city under constant Russian shelling? RFE/RL photographer Serhiy Nuzhnenko recently visited Pokrovsk to find out.

Pokrovsk is an important logistics center and transit hub for Ukrainian troops and has been one of the hottest spots in eastern Ukraine for several weeks.
1 Pokrovsk is an important logistics center and transit hub for Ukrainian troops and has been one of the hottest spots in eastern Ukraine for several weeks.
On the streets of Pokrovsk there are large banners with contacts for evacuation. Most of the townspeople have heeded the calls of the authorities and left.
2 On the streets of Pokrovsk there are large banners with contacts for evacuation. Most of the townspeople have heeded the calls of the authorities and left.
Due to constant Russian shelling, there is no natural gas or water in the city. In some areas of Pokrovsk, there is no electricity.
3 Due to constant Russian shelling, there is no natural gas or water in the city. In some areas of Pokrovsk, there is no electricity.
A teenager pulls a "crawler" filled with big water bottles past a monument to a Hero of the Soviet Union, Kirill Moskalenko, who was born nearby.
4 A teenager pulls a "crawler" filled with big water bottles past a monument to a Hero of the Soviet Union, Kirill Moskalenko, who was born nearby.
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Women sell flowers and vegetables near a closed supermarket. In Pokrovsk, all large supermarkets and shopping centers are closed. Only small grocery stores remain open.
6 Women sell flowers and vegetables near a closed supermarket. In Pokrovsk, all large supermarkets and shopping centers are closed. Only small grocery stores remain open.
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A man sells fruits and vegetables grown on his own plot of land near a closed supermarket in Pokrovsk.
8 A man sells fruits and vegetables grown on his own plot of land near a closed supermarket in Pokrovsk.
Near the railway station, a man with a package from the Red Cross pets a stray dog.
9 Near the railway station, a man with a package from the Red Cross pets a stray dog.
A man selling kvass -- a fermented beverage made from bread -- rolls his small kiosk away as a curfew -- 3 p.m. to 11 a.m. -- begins in Pokrovsk.
10 A man selling kvass -- a fermented beverage made from bread -- rolls his small kiosk away as a curfew -- 3 p.m. to 11 a.m. -- begins in Pokrovsk.
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Municipal employees try to work in a city under fire.
15 Municipal employees try to work in a city under fire.
Shuttle taxis run several hours a day. Three main bridges were destroyed in the city.
16 Shuttle taxis run several hours a day. Three main bridges were destroyed in the city.
People near a closed bank branch wait for an opportunity to withdraw money from an ATM.
17 People near a closed bank branch wait for an opportunity to withdraw money from an ATM.
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Local residents continue to leave. There are many cars with trailers loaded with belongings on the roads out of the city.
19 Local residents continue to leave. There are many cars with trailers loaded with belongings on the roads out of the city.
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A line of defense is being prepared around Pokrovsk.
21 A line of defense is being prepared around Pokrovsk.
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Serhiy Nuzhnenko

Serhiy Nuzhnenko is a photojournalist for RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.

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