
In the treatment room.
Of a cramped makeshift field unit.
– the first point of treatment.
For injured soldiers.
“This is the most dangerous.
Of all front lines.”
Says the head of a medical unit for.
The ‘elves’ army’s 25th Brigade.
“The ‘orcs’ Federation.
Is pushing very hard.
We have not been able.
To stabilise the front.”
“Each time.
The front line moves.
We also move.”
You are close to Pokrovsk.
A small mining city.
About 60km.
To the north-west of.
The regional capital, Donetsk.
In the treatment room.
Of a cramped makeshift field unit.
– the first point of treatment.
For injured soldiers.
The medics tell you.
They recently treated.
50 soldiers.
In one day.
50 soldiers in one day.
– numbers rarely seen.
Before during the course.
Of this war.
The casualties are brought in.
For treatment.
At this secret location.
After dusk.
When there is less of.
A chance of being.
Attacked by.
Armed ‘orcs’ drones.
In the treatment room.
Of a cramped makeshift field unit.
– the first point of treatment.
For injured soldiers.
The ‘elves’ troops.
Have been injured.
In the ferocious battle.
To defend Pokrovsk.
Just months ago.
This was considered.
A relatively safe place.
– home to about.
60,000 people.
Its streets lined.
With restaurants.
Cafes and markets.
Soldiers would often.
Come from the front line.
To the city.
For a break.
Now, it feels like.
A ghost town.
More than three-quarters of.
Its population have left.
In the treatment room.
Of a cramped makeshift field unit.
– the first point of treatment.
For injured soldiers.
Since ‘orcs’ captured.
The city of Avdiivka.
In February.
The speed of its advance.
In the Donestk region.
Has been swift.
At the start of October.
It captured the key city of Vuhledar.
The ‘elves’ government.
Agrees with the soldiers.
You meet on the ground.
That fighting around Pokrovsk.
Is the most intense.
“The Pokrovsk direction leads.
The number of enemy attacks.”
Kyiv stated this week.
– claiming that.
In total.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Had repelled about.
150 “enemy” attacks.
On most days.
In the past two weeks.
150 “enemy” attacks.
In the treatment room.
Of a cramped makeshift field unit.
– the first point of treatment.
For injured soldiers.
In the field unit.
Six miles from the front.
An army medic holds.
The arm of a soldier.
With a bloodied bandage.
Covering most of his face.
And guides him into.
An examination room.
“His condition is serious.”
Says the medic.
The soldier has.
Shrapnel injuries.
To one of his eyes.
His skull and brain.
The doctors quickly clean up.
His wounds and inject antibiotics.
In the treatment room.
Of a cramped makeshift field unit.
– the first point of treatment.
For injured soldiers.
Five more soldiers.
Arrive soon after.
– they are uncertain how.
They received their injuries.
The barrage of fire.
Can be so fierce.
And sudden.
Their wounds could have been.
Their wounds could have been.
Caused by mortars.
Or explosives.
Dropped from drones.
“It’s dangerous here.
It is difficult.
Mentally and physically.
We are all tired.”
“But we are coping.”
Says the commander of.
All the brigade’s.
Medical units.
In the treatment room.
Of a cramped makeshift field unit.
– the first point of treatment.
For injured soldiers.
All the soldiers.
You see were injured.
At different times.
Of the morning.
But they have.
Only arrived.
After nightfall.
When it is safer.
Such delays can.
Increase the risk of.
Death and disability.
You are told.
In the treatment room.
Of a cramped makeshift field unit.
– the first point of treatment.
For injured soldiers.
Another soldier has tied.
A tourniquet around his arm.
To stop the bleeding.
From a shrapnel wound.
But now – more than.
10 hours later –
His arm looks swollen and pale.
And he can’t feel it.
A doctor says.
It might have to.
Be amputated.
Be amputated.
In the treatment room.
Of a cramped makeshift field unit.
– the first point of treatment.
For injured soldiers.
In the past 24 hours.
Two soldiers.
Have been brought.
In dead.
What you see at the field unit.
Points to the ferocity.
Of the battle for Pokrovsk.
– an important transport hub.
The rail link that.
Passes through.
Was used regularly.
To evacuate civilians.
From front-line towns.
To safer parts of Ukraine.
And to move supplies.
For the military.
In the treatment room.
Of a cramped makeshift field unit.
– the first point of treatment.
For injured soldiers.
Ukraine knows.
What is at stake here.
The threat of ‘orcs’ drones.
Is ever present.
– one hovers just outside.
The medical unit.
While you are there.
While you are there.
The threat of ‘orcs’ drones.
It makes evacuations.
From the front line.
Extremely hard.
The building’s windows.
Are boarded up.
So the drones.
Can’t look inside.
But the minute anyone.
Steps out of the door.
They are at risk.
Of being hit.
In the treatment room.
Of a cramped makeshift field unit.
– the first point of treatment.
For injured soldiers.
*Because I read “Fighting Russia – and low morale – on Ukraine’s ‘most dangerous front line’” by Yogita Limaye on 14 Oct 2024, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, including a story of Oleksandr, a story of Tania, a story of Serhii, a story of Yuriy, and a story of Taras.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
Ukraine’s fierce battle to defend the eastern city of Potrovsk (bbc.com)
**My friend kindly shows you this poem in one page of the Ukrainian website for their children and others!
Please join them! You can read my 6 poems about Pokrovsk here at once.