If there’s one metropolis that has come to represent the grinding warfare of attrition in Ukraine, it’s Bakhmut.
Russian army and Wagner Group mercenary forces have pummeled the town for months, lowering it to a charred ghost city. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mourned the destruction of the town on Sunday, saying ravaged Bakhmut now lives “solely in our hearts.”
Earlier than Russia’s invasion final 12 months, Bakhmut was principally often called a middle of the salt business. However the relentless, intensifying battle for management of the town — which analysts say holds little strategic significance — has made it a rallying cry and political battleground for either side. Town has lengthy seemed to be on the verge of falling, however Ukrainian officers say fighters there are clinging on.