Russian soldiers are steadily approaching Bakhmut in an attempt to capture Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. This is despite Moscow’s desire to capture the entire Donbas region bordering Russia.

While most of the fighting has been in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine, but the rising tension around Bakhmut is a sign of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s desire to see tangible gains after weeks of clear setbacks.

Bakhmut’s capture would break Ukraine’s supply lines, and allow Russian forces to push on towards Kramatorsk or Sloviansk, key Ukrainian strongholds within Donetsk. Since 2014, part of Donetsk has been controlled by pro-Moscow separatists.

Putin acknowledged the independence of the self-proclaimed republics of Russian-backed separatists before he invaded Ukraine. He illegally annexed Donetsk and Luhansk last month.

Bakhmut’s capture would break Ukraine’s supply lines, and allow Russian forces to push on towards Kramatorsk or Sloviansk, key Ukrainian strongholds within Donetsk. Since 2014, part of Donetsk has been controlled by pro-Moscow separatists.

Putin acknowledged the independence of the self-proclaimed republics of Russian-backed separatists before he invaded Ukraine. He illegally annexed Donetsk and Luhansk last month.

Bakhmut has been under attack by Russia for over five months. After the Ukrainian troops were forced to leave Luhansk in August, the ground assault picked up. The city’s outskirts are now the line of contact. The charge is being led by mercenaries from the Wagner Group, an obscure Russian military company.

Russia’s long-term drive for Bakhmut exposes Moscow’s “craziness”, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President, stated in a nightly address this week to the nation.

Zelenskyy stated that “Day after day, for many months, they have been driving people to their deaths, concentrating maximum power of artillery strike there.”

According to local authorities, at least three people were killed in the shelling between Wednesday and Thursday. According to local authorities, four more people were killed in shelling between Wednesday and Thursday in Donetsk. This was reported by the provincial governor of Ukraine. The attack on Bakhmut (55 miles) and Avdiivka by Russian troops, which are also under Ukrainian control, came as the Russian troops pressed their assaults on the small city of Bakhmut, located 90 km (55 miles) south.

Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko stated that the region was becoming an active conflict zone and the civilian population was more suffering.

Kyrylenko stated in televised remarks that “Civilians who are still in the region live under constant fear without heating or electricity.” Their enemy is not just Russian cannons, but also the cold.

Russia must win Bakhmut, as it is losing control of large swathes of the northeastern Kharkiv region to a Ukrainian counteroffensive last week and its declining position in Kherson. These areas were captured by the Russian military first after the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2014.

“Russia is suffering defeats all over the board. “They need the optics and the victory of some sort of offensive victory to assuage their critics at home, and to show that the Russian public is still planning for this war,” stated Samuel Ramani, associate fellow at The Royal United Services Institute, a London-based defense and security think tank.

The Wagner Group played an important role in the war. Human rights organizations have charged its soldiers for hire with atrocities. Their deployment in Bakhmut is a reflection of Moscow’s strategic importance. Ramani said that it is not clear if there have been any tangible gains by the mercenaries.

He said that while the Wagner Group can create terror among the residents, it is much less effective in capturing and holding land. He said that they are only gaining 1 km (0.6 miles) per week towards Bakhmut.

The Associated Press journalists saw destroyed buildings, burned cars and people trying to survive in this city amid constant shelling. Bakhmut was without water or electricity for over a month and residents are worried about heating their homes in the colder months.

“We hoped this (war) would be over or that conditions would allow us to live. “But conditions have been terrible since last month,” Leonid Tarasov, a resident, said.

Many shops are closed. The AP reported that people were using firewood to cook on streets and drawing water from wells.

Bakhmut was home to approximately 73,000 people before World War II, but that number has dropped to 90% according Kyrylenko (the governor of Donetsk).

Roman Zhylenkov, a volunteer with Vostok SOS, stated that some of the surviving soldiers and volunteers have asked to be evacuated from dangerous areas because of fighting.

Others feel trapped.

“People who moved to be with their family or siblings were able to move back home.” Ilona Ierhilieieva stated that they had places to go as she made soup by the side of the road. “But for us, there is no place to go. We are here because of that.”