Fighting escalates in Bakhmut

Bakhmut became a focal point of Russian offense and Ukrainian defence during this period. Much of the city has been leveled and has seen some of the fiercest combat in the 21st century. Both casualties of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been high, with reports of Russian casualties reaching into the tens of thousands. It has also been a point of competition between Russia's Armed Forces and Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner PMC as internal Kremlin players vie for power.