On Pokrovsk's Front Lines As Russian Forces Close In On 'Fortress City'

Artem, a 40-year-old Ukrainian commander, shouts a warning before his artillery team fires toward Russian positions near Pokrovsk in early October.
 

The center of Pokrovsk photographed in 2012.

Through the past century, and under different names, the eastern Ukrainian city endured fighting in Russia’s Civil War, then German occupation in World War II. Now Pokrovsk looks set to be overtaken by war yet again.

 

A man rides past the entrance sign on the outskirts of Pokrovsk in September 2024.

Since July, Russian forces have been pushing directly toward Pokrovsk, which was once home to some 60,000 people and is seen as a gateway to the Donetsk region.
 

Artem readies a shotgun as a drone is heard overhead in early October.

As of October 8, Russian forces are around 6 kilometers from Pokrovsk and appear to be focusing their entire war efforts in Donetsk on capturing the city.

 

A street market in Pokrovsk on September 25.  

A Ukrainian analyst recently warned that if Kyiv were to lose Pokrovsk, "the entire front line will crumble."
 

A member of an artillery crew near Pokrovsk shows the religious artwork he sketches between combat duties. 

Pokrovsk is a major railway hub and, crucially, produces high-quality coal needed in steel production. Industry experts say Ukraine could lose half of its current steelmaking capacity if the city and its nearby mine falls into Russian hands.

 

Signs in Pokrovsk including one (right) displaying a phone number for people who want to be evacuated.

Around 13,000 residents were believed to remain in the city as of October 4.
 

A damaged apartment block in Pokrovsk in September.

Journalists report some locals are openly awaiting the arrival of Russian troops, despite the repeated precedent of Donbas settlements being reduced to ruins by the time Russian forces enter.