“This front line is the most dangerous,” stated Oleksandr, the leader of a medical team in the Ukrainian army’s 25th Brigade.
We are currently in a cramped field unit’s treatment room – the initial point of care for wounded soldiers.
“The Russian Federation is exerting immense pressure. We have not been able to stabilize the front line. Whenever the front line shifts, we must also move,” he added.
We are situated near Pokrovsk, a small mining city approximately 60km (37 miles) northwest of Donetsk, the regional capital.
The medical staff informed us that they recently treated 50 soldiers in a single day – a record number in this ongoing war. The injured are brought to this undisclosed location for treatment after dark to minimize the risk of attacks from Russian drones.
The Ukrainian soldiers have sustained injuries in the fierce battle to protect Pokrovsk. A few months ago, this area was deemed relatively safe, with a population of around 60,000 and bustling streets filled with restaurants and markets. Soldiers used to frequent the city for relaxation.
Now, it resembles a deserted town, with over three-quarters of the population having fled.
Following Russia’s capture of Avdiivka in February, its rapid advance in the Donetsk region has been notable. By early October, the key city of Vuhledar fell into Russian hands.
The Ukrainian government concurs with the soldiers on the ground that the fighting around Pokrovsk is exceptionally intense.
“The direction towards Pokrovsk witnesses the most enemy attacks,” declared Kyiv recently, revealing that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had repelled around 150 “enemy” assaults on most days over the past two weeks.
In the field unit, located six miles from the frontline, army medic Tania assists Serhii, a soldier with critical shrapnel injuries, into the examination room.
“His condition is grave,” Tania remarked.
Serhii has shrapnel wounds on his eye, skull, and brain. The medical team promptly attends to his injuries and administers antibiotics.
Shortly after, five more soldiers arrive, unsure about the cause of their wounds. The intensity of the fire can result in injuries from mortars or explosives dropped by drones.
“It’s perilous here. It’s mentally and physically challenging. We’re all exhausted, but we’re managing,” explained Yuriy, the commander of the brigade’s medical units.
Although the soldiers were injured at various times during the morning, they are only brought in after nightfall for safety.
Such delays can elevate the risk of fatalities and disabilities, we were informed.
Another soldier, Taras, has tied a tourniquet around his arm to stop bleeding from a shrapnel wound. However, more than 10 hours later, his arm appears swollen and pale, with loss of sensation. A doctor mentioned that amputation might be necessary.
In the last 24 hours, two soldiers were brought in deceased.
The conditions at the field unit underscore the intensity of the battle for Pokrovsk, a crucial transport hub. The railway passing through was regularly used to evacuate civilians from frontline areas to safer regions and transport military supplies.
Ukraine understands the significance of this location.
The constant threat of Russian drones is evident – one hovered near the medical unit during our visit, complicating evacuations from the frontline. The windows of the building were covered to prevent drones from peering inside, but stepping outside put individuals at risk of being targeted.
These drones pose a threat to the remaining residents of Pokrovsk.
“We hear them buzzing constantly – they pause and peer through the windows,” remarked Viktoriia Vasylevska, one of the few remaining residents. Despite her initial reluctance, she has agreed to evacuate her home located in the particularly hazardous eastern part of the city.
She expressed surprise at the rapid westward movement of the front line towards Pokrovsk.
“Everything happened so swiftly. Who knows what the future holds for this place. I’m losing my composure. I experience panic attacks. I dread the nights,” she shared.
Viktoriia mentioned her dwindling finances and the daunting prospect of starting anew elsewhere, prompting her decision to leave.
“I yearn for an end to the war. Negotiations should take place. There’s nothing left in the territories seized by Russia anyway. Everything is in ruins, and the populace has fled,” she stated.
We encountered a sense of depleted morale among most of the individuals we conversed with – a consequence of over two and a half years of relentless warfare.
Large sections of Pokrovsk are now without essential services like power and water.
At a school, a queue of people clutching empty containers waits to access a communal tap. They mentioned that a few days ago, four taps were functional, but now only one remains operational.
Driving through the city, visible pockets of destruction hint at the ongoing conflict, although Pokrovsk has not yet suffered the severe bombings seen in other fiercely contested areas.
At one of the few remaining open food stalls in the central market, we met Larysa, 69, purchasing sacks of potatoes.
“I’m terrified. I rely on sedatives to cope,” she disclosed. Given her limited income, she doubts her ability to afford alternative accommodation. “The government might relocate and assist me for a while. But what happens next?”
Another shopper, Raisa, 77, added, “Without money, you can’t go anywhere. So we stay home and hope for an end to this crisis.”
Larysa advocated for negotiations with Russia, a stance that was once unthinkable for many in Ukraine. Nevertheless, near the front line, we encountered several individuals expressing similar sentiments.
“We’re losing too many of our young men, too many are wounded. They’re sacrificing their lives, and this cycle continues,” she remarked.
Resting on a mattress inside an evacuation van, 80-year-old Nadiia expressed no sympathy for the advancing Russian forces. “Maldita guerra! Voy a morir”, llora. “¿Por qué [Presidente] Putin quiere más tierra? ¿No tiene suficiente? Ha matado a tanta gente.”
Nadiia no puede caminar. Solía arrastrarse por su casa, dependiendo de la ayuda de los vecinos. Solo unos pocos han quedado, pero bajo la constante amenaza de bombardeo, ha decidido irse aunque no sabe a dónde irá.
Pero hay quienes aún no se van de la ciudad.
Entre ellos están los lugareños que trabajan para reparar la infraestructura dañada por la guerra.
“Vivo en una de las calles más cercanas al frente. Todo está quemado alrededor de mi casa. Mis vecinos murieron después de que su casa fue bombardeada”, nos cuenta Vitaliy, mientras él y sus compañeros intentan arreglar las líneas eléctricas.
“Pero no creo que sea correcto abandonar a nuestros hombres. Debemos luchar hasta obtener la victoria y Rusia sea castigada por sus crímenes.”
Su determinación no es compartida por Roman, de 20 años, a quien conocemos mientras trabaja para arreglar una casa dañada por una bomba.
“No creo que el territorio por el que estamos luchando valga la vida humana. Muchos de nuestros soldados han muerto. Jóvenes que podrían haber tenido un futuro, esposas e hijos. Pero tuvieron que ir al frente.”
Una mañana al amanecer, conducimos hacia el campo de batalla fuera de la ciudad. Campos de girasoles secos bordean los lados de la carretera. Casi no hay cobertura, así que conducimos a toda velocidad para protegernos de los ataques de drones rusos.
Escuchamos explosiones fuertes a medida que nos acercamos al frente.
En una posición de artillería ucraniana, Vadym dispara un cañón de artillería de la era soviética. Emite un sonido ensordecedor y levanta polvo y hojas secas del suelo. Corre a refugiarse en un búnker subterráneo, manteniéndose a salvo de la represalia rusa y esperando las coordenadas del próximo ataque ucraniano.
“Tienen más personal y armas. Y envían a sus hombres al campo de batalla como si fueran carne de cañón”, dice.
Pero sabe que si Pokrovsk cae, podría abrir una puerta a la región de Dnipro – a solo 32km (20 millas) de Pokrovsk – y su trabajo se volverá aún más difícil.
“Sí, estamos cansados – y muchos de nuestros hombres han muerto y han resultado heridos – pero tenemos que luchar, de lo contrario el resultado será catastrófico.”
Reportaje adicional de Imogen Anderson, Anastasiia Levchenko, Volodymyr Lozhko, Sanjay Ganguly
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