Russia reports encirclement of Ukrainian troops in Bakhmut

The Battle of Bakhmut is the longest of the more than year-long Russian offensive in Ukraine. The city, which had a population of 70,000 before the start of the war, is largely destroyed and deserted after months of fighting. However, the city in the industrial region of Donbass has now acquired great symbolic importance for both sides in view of the fighting that has been going on for months and has resulted in heavy losses.