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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
People near a closed bank branch wait for an opportunity to withdraw money from an ATM.
Local residents continue to leave. There are many cars with trailers loaded with belongings on the roads out of the city.
A line of defense is being prepared around Pokrovsk.