Mstyslav Chernov Instagram – Ukrainian soldiers and tank crews took a brief respite on Wednesday as the conflict rolled on near the Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar.
As Russian forces continue their attempts to encircle Bakhmut, Ukrainian service personnel are determined to fight back as long as needed.
The battle for the city the Ukrainians have dubbed “fortress Bakhmut” has become emblematic of the way each side has tried to wear down the other.
Russian forces must go through Bakhmut to push deeper into parts of the Donetsk province they do not yet control, though Western officials say that capture of the city is unlikely to change the course of the conflict.
The battle for Bakhmut has lasted six months and reduced the city with a prewar population of more than 70,000 to a smoldering wasteland.
Russian troops have tried to envelope the city from three sides, leaving only a narrow corridor leading west.
The only highway west has been targeted by Russian artillery fire, forcing Ukrainian defenders to rely increasingly on country roads, which are hard to use before the muddy ground dries.
#ukraine #russia #invasion #war #tank #donbas #bakhmut | Posted on 13/Mar/2023 23:29:39
