As he prepares.
To set off.
On another rescue mission.
On ‘elves’ eastern front.
A 35-year-old is.
Grateful for the fog.
It will shield him.
And his colleague.
From ‘orcs’ drones.
Hunting from the skies.
From ‘orcs’ drones.
Hunting from the skies.
His armoured van will.
Provide more protection.
– but only up to a point.
Every journey could be the last.
In December.
Shrapnel from a drone attack.
Ripped through a clearly.
Marked armoured vehicle.
Used by his team.
Causing injuries.
But no deaths.
“We were extremely lucky.”
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
His regular destination.
These days is.
The industrial city.
Of Pokrovsk.
Which he says is.
“Being attacked.
Night and day”.
‘Orcs’ forces are closing in.
– they are now.
Less than 2km away.
“The last few days.
We were coming in.”
“The last few days.
We were coming in.
There was hell.
There are around.”
“7,000 people still there.
We’ll try to.
Get some people.
Out of that nightmare.”
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
He’s been doing.
Just that since ‘orcs’.
Full-scale invasion.
In February 2022.
With his country.
Under attack.
The ‘elf’ cinematographer.
Left his life.
And career in Berlin.
Came home and co-founded.
A small aid organization.
Base UA.
Since then, he and.
His team have managed to.
Get about 3,000 civilians.
Out of harm’s way.
Taking them away.
From front lines.
To safer areas.
To safer areas.
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
Pokrovsk used to be.
One of those places.
“It’s crazy,” he says.
As you head for the city.
“Because this used to be.
The haven.
The safest city.
In the region.”
“And the biggest hospital.
The evacuation train.
Was departing.
From Pokrovsk.”
If and when.
‘Orcs’ forces take the city.
It will deprive.
The ‘elves’ military.
Of a key supply.
And transport hub.
Ukraine has already.
Lost the output.
From a crucial coal mine.
In the area.
– the only one.
Producing coking coal.
For its steel industry.
Operations were.
Suspended last month.
Because of the ‘orcs’ advance.
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
You join him.
For the journey.
To Pokrovsk.
To Pokrovsk.
He has a tourniquet.
And a separate medical kit.
Attached to the front of.
His body armour.
His white.
High-visibility jacket.
Bears the slogan.
“Leave no-one behind”.
Before you set off.
There’s a warning.
“When we park.
Get out of the vehicles.”
“When we park.
Get out of the vehicles.
And don’t stand nearby.
In case they are targeted.”
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
The closer you get.
The more explosions you hear.
War has left its mark.
Draining the city of life.
Streets are deserted.
And houses boarded up.
Some buildings.
Have been flattened.
There’s no smoke.
From the chimneys.
On snow-capped rooves.
You pass a parked car.
You pass a parked car.
With a white flag.
But you find her.
already waiting.
By the roadside.
Wrapped up.
In a lilac winter coat.
And furry hood.
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
She’s one of six people.
On his list.
For evacuation.
This time.
She goes to.
Lock up her home.
– moving quickly.
Despite her 71 years.
And then she gets.
Into the van.
And does not look back.
And does not look back.
“I have been.
In this house.
For 65 years.
It’s hard to leave.”
“It’s hard to leave.
Everything behind.
But it’s not life anymore.
It’s like hell.”
“In the beginning.
We thought maybe.
We will sit it out.
But now the ground is shaking.”
Her children.
And grandchildren.
Have already fled.
The bombing.
Does she think?
She will be able to?
Come back one day?
“Who knows.”
Come back one day?
“Who knows.”
She replies.
“But we hope.”
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
Along the way.
Whenever he spots people.
Out on the street.
– and there aren’t many –
He urges them to go.
He stops the car.
To hand out leaflets.
Explaining that.
Evacuation is free, and help.
Including a place.
To stay and.
Ongoing payments.
Is available in the city.
Of Pavlohrad to the west.
But some are hard.
To persuade.
“I have to stay.”
One elderly woman says.
“My son has died.
And I need to be near his grave.”
“I don’t think.
He would want this.”
He says.
“I don’t think.”
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
You drive on and.
Pass a group of three.
Who have been out.
Collecting water.
He shouts another warning.
“There will be street battles.
Unfortunately.
I promise you this.”
“I am doing this.
From the very first day.
It’s the same everywhere.
This is the final stage.”
One of the women.
Comes forward.
To take a leaflet.
“God keep you safe.”
“God keep you safe.”
She tells him.
Before going.
On her way.
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
He moves fast.
From address to address.
When there’s no answer.
At one house.
He climbs over.
A high metal gate.
To investigate.
He knocks.
He knocks.
He shouts.
He speaks.
To a neighbour.
With no sign.
Of the woman.
He hoped to evacuate.
You drive on.
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
What is he expecting?
For 2025?
What is he expecting?
For 2025?
Now the man is back.
In the White House.
And pushing for.
Peace talks.
“I stopped looking.
Too much ahead.
I think nobody really knows.
What’s going to happen.”
“I personally.
Don’t think that.
Even if some kind of.
Negotiations will start.”
“They will bring.
A ceasefire anytime soon.”
More than this.
He expects.
Fighting will worsen.
If talks do start.
As both sides will.
Try to gain leverage.
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
The last pick up.
Of the day.
Is a 75-year-old.
– her white hair peeping out.
From under a scarf.
Her long life is.
Now compressed into.
A few plastic bags.
She looks bereft.
And flinches.
At every explosion.
You hear.
“It has been bad.
Bad. We were left alone.
There are no authorities.
People are just getting killed.”
“Under the sky.”
She says, gesturing upwards.
“There’s no gas.
No water, no electricity.”
She is helped.
Into the van.
Which is now full.
With five elderly evacuees.
Which is now full.
With five elderly evacuees.
– their memories.
And their fears –
And one black cat.
Peering out.
From a pet carrier.
No one speaks.
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
You first.
Travelled with him.
In the heat of summer.
In 2022.
He was then.
Evacuating civilians.
From another front-line city.
– Lysychansk –
From another front-line city.
– Lysychansk –
As ‘orcs’ shells.
Rained down.
Now in ‘elves’.
Third winter of war.
He – and other volunteers –
Are still trying to.
Outrun moving.
Front lines.
And save.
Whoever they can.
“To be honest.
Every time.
I see this.
I break down.”
“Because it’s just.
These innocent people.
Leaving everything behind.
These are human tragedies.”
“And you can never.
Really get used to it.
But I am glad that we manage.
To get people out to safety.”
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
That comes at a cost.
And it is increasing.
That comes at a cost.
And it is increasing.
Since you travelled.
To Pokrovsk.
One of his teams.
Has come under fire.
From an ‘orcs’ drone.
A 28-year-old.
British volunteer lost.
An arm and a leg.
An arm and a leg.
– saving civilians –
But is now.
Stable in hospital.
Following the attack.
His group have suspended.
Evacuations from Pokrovsk.
And from other front-line areas.
For him this is.
A familiar picture.
But still.
A painful one.
An ‘elves’ police unit.
Called the White Angels.
Is still doing rescue missions.
In the city.
They tell you.
They are “trying to be.
Very cautious.
And careful”.
Inside the city.
In freezing basements.
And unlit homes.
The remaining residents.
– mostly elderly –
Are at the mercy of.
‘Orcs’ glide bombs.
And artillery.
As they wait for.
Pokrovsk to fall.
As they wait for.
Pokrovsk to fall.
*Because I read “‘It’s like hell’: Race to evacuate residents from Ukraine front-line city” by Orla Guerin on 5 Feb 2025, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem as a story of Anton, Pylyp, Olga and Lyuba.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
Pokrovsk: Inside the Ukrainian city as Russian forces advance
