Civilians flee Pokrovsk as Russia’s army bears down on key Ukrainian city

A woman named Alla hugs her son Ivan while sitting in a evacuation train in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)

Civilians with small children in their arms and lugging heavy suitcases fled from Ukraine’s eastern city of Pokrovsk on Monday, where the Russian army was bearing down fast despite a lightning Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

Local authorities said Russian forces were advancing so quickly that families were under orders to leave the city and other nearby towns and villages from Tuesday.