Civilians under siege As Russian forces advance on Ukraine’s Pokrovsk, a mayor’s appeal to Zelensky draws a rebuke from the local military administration

The Russian military continues its offensive near Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Russian troops have advanced east of the city, while Ukrainian forces have managed to halt their progress to the south and west of Pokrovsk. On the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, Pokrovsk Mayor Ruslan Trebushkin released a video urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “make peace and let people live.” In response, Pokrovsk’s military administration asserted that the civilian mayor has no authority until martial law and stated that it is “doing everything possible to bring victory closer.” Despite relentless shelling, civilians remain in the city — as of January 2025, approximately 7,200 people were still living in Pokrovsk.

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