AILSA CHANG, HOST:
In Ukraine, the battle continues for Pokrovsk, a crucial mining city and transport hub in the country's east. The city is under siege by Russia, and this was the sound of Ukraine's defensive artillery firing today.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARTILLERY BOOMING)
CHANG: That was recorded this afternoon by NPR's Brian Mann, who was in Pokrovsk as Russian soldiers advanced to within about a mile of the city. Brian joins us now. Hi, Brian.
BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa.
CHANG: So Ukraine's military command says the city is seriously threatened. Did you have the same sense? What did you see?
MANN: Yeah, absolutely. Pokrovsk is really a ghost town now. We saw a lot of rubble, snow falling under gray skies. And, at times, it's a frightening place. There's that constant rumble of big guns, the threat of Russian drones that are constantly dropping bombs on the city. At one time, there were about 60,000 residents. Now, officials say about 11,000 civilians are still holding on while this battle plays out. I spoke to one of them, Svitlana Storojko (ph), who, amazingly, still operates a grocery and cafe.
CHANG: Wow.
MANN: Are you afraid?
SVITLANA STOROJKO: (Non-English language spoken).
MANN: Why not? There are sounds of artillery and explosions.
STOROJKO: (Non-English language spoken).
MANN: And what she told me, Ailsa, is that people have just gotten used to the fighting. But it's pretty dire. There's no gas to heat their homes, no clean water as the Russians grind closer. While I was there, we saw people lining up to be evacuated to safety.
CHANG: Hmm. Well, this war - it's nearly three years old at this point, but this battle is being described as pivotal, I understand - like a crucial test for Ukraine. What makes this fight so important?
MANN: Well, Pokrovsk, as you said, is a key transportation link for Ukraine's army as they feed supplies and soldiers to the frontlines. It's a place where high-quality coal is mined that's crucial to Ukraine's steel industry. Losing that would be a blow. But Pokrovsk is also a battle line. It's a fortified position that's really defending Ukraine's interior. And so if Russia is able to topple Pokrovsk, as a lot of military analysts believe they will eventually, this war is going to move closer to the heartland - to cities like Dnipro, which is home to nearly a million Ukrainian people.
CHANG: And why are the Russians gaining ground, from what you can tell?
MANN: Well, what Ukraine's military commanders say is that they're just being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. I was in a secret drone command post today, Ailsa, hidden on the outskirts of Pokrovsk, and I watched Ukrainian drone pilots killing Russian soldiers, dropping bombs out of the sky. But on the screens, you could see images captured by those drones of more and more Russian soldiers. They just kept coming. I spoke about this with a Ukrainian engineer who gave his name as Vitaly (ph) for security reasons. He's helping build trenches and fortifications around the city.
VITALY: (Non-English language spoken).
MANN: And what he told me is that Pokrovsk's defenses are strong, but the Ukrainians simply don't have enough shells for their artillery. They don't have enough soldiers. The Russians attack and advance, and we can't respond, he said. I spoke to a lot of Ukrainian soldiers who are just back from the frontlines, and they looked exhausted - really shaken by the intensity of this battle. For now, they're just trying to hold on and make Russians pay a very heavy price for taking Pokrovsk. One group, called the Institute for the Study of War, reported last week that Russia may have lost as many as 3,000 troops in just a couple of weeks of fighting here. But what I saw today is that the cost to Ukraine is also incredibly high, Ailsa. I could see it on people's faces.
CHANG: That is NPR's Brian Mann, who was in Pokrovsk, Ukraine, today. Thank you so much, Brian.
MANN: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF ALEX VAUGHN SONG, "SO BE IT") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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