The russians shelled the city this morning, hitting a private house where the children were: girls aged 15 and 8, and a 12-year-old boy. This was reported by the head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, Vadym Filashkin, on March 17.
"It's important to note that the children had previously been evacuated to a safer region, but their parents made the reckless decision to return to Pokrovsk. Adults who force their children to remain under shelling in frontline cities provoke outrage", - Filashkin stated, urging residents to evacuate.