In Photos: Life in the Bakhmut 'Vortex' as Savage Fighting Continues
The battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in the country's eastern Donetsk region has become the bloodiest of the war so far and has even prompted comparisons to the great battles of World War I for its trench warfare, high casualty numbers and largely static frontline.
While the medium-sized city has been shelled by Russian forces since May, the Russian military only mounted a full assault on Bakhmut in August, with generals directing ever-greater resources to the front in an attempt to give the Russians a much-needed victory before the year's end.
The situation has further deteriorated since November, with Russian troops who were freed up by the withdrawal from Kherson being redeployed to the front in Donbas, alongside thousands of newly recruited soldiers from Russia's
mobilization drive this fall. Despite the months of fighting, thousands of civilians eke out an existence in Bakhmut, sleeping in basement bomb shelters and foraging forage firewood to keep warm.
While the medium-sized city has been shelled by Russian forces since May, the Russian military only mounted a full assault on Bakhmut in August, with generals directing ever-greater resources to the front in an attempt to give the Russians a much-needed victory before the year's end.
The situation has further deteriorated since November, with Russian troops who were freed up by the withdrawal from Kherson being redeployed to the front in Donbas, alongside thousands of newly recruited soldiers from Russia's
mobilization drive this fall. Despite the months of fighting, thousands of civilians eke out an existence in Bakhmut, sleeping in basement bomb shelters and foraging forage firewood to keep warm.
A street scene in Bakhmut.
Anatolii Stepanov / AFP
A family builds a heating stove in a converted basement bomb shelter.
Anatolii Stepanov / AFP
A woman cooks a meal while a man assembles a stovepipe in a converted basement bomb shelter.
Anatolii Stepanov / AFP
An elderly man keeps warm while eating some snacks in a converted basement bomb shelter.
Anatolii Stepanov / AFP
An elderly woman pulls a shopping bag past the rubble of a building.
Yevhen Titov / AFP
An elderly woman carries her shopping cart over a makeshift bridge on the Bakhmuta river.
Yevhen Titov / AFP
A Bakhmut resident goes shopping amid widespread damage from shelling.
Anatolii Stepanov / AFP
A local resident collects firewood, which is vital for survival during the freezing winter months.
Anatolii Stepanov / AFP
A wounded Ukrainian soldier receives treatment at a mobile hospital near Bakhmut.
Anatolii Stepanov / AFP
A dog looks out from the ruins of a residential building.
Yevhen Titov / AFP
