The difficult situation of Ukrainian soldiers when being surrounded by Russia from 3 directions in Bakhmut

Death hovers overhead

“We can attack and push them back for a day or two. Or they can advance and we have to retreat again,” said a 35-year-old Ukrainian non-commissioned officer in charge of holding a position in a high-rise building just metres from the front line. The serviceman would only give his name and code name “Bandit”.

The ruined city of Bakhmut (Artemovsk) seen through a broken window. Photo: Ed Ram

"Honestly, I don't know what's going to happen in the next week or two. There are a lot of people dying here," Bandit said.

For months, both Ukraine and Russia have poured reinforcements into Bakhmut (known as Artemovsk in Russia) to replace the thousands of soldiers killed or wounded in what has become the longest and bloodiest battle of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. After eight months, the Ukrainian side has lost ground in the city, and fighting has narrowed to a few square kilometers on the western edge of the city.

As Russian forces press from the north, east and south, Ukraine is determined to prolong the fighting here as long as possible, hoping to wear down Russian forces before Ukraine launches a counter-offensive to push Russian troops out of many territories.

To speed up the advance, the Russian side began to destroy entire blocks of buildings that the Ukrainian army used as defenses. The city of Bakhmut was leveled in many places and most of its residents were evacuated.

Bandit said: The enemy dropped a powerful bomb on "the four-story buildings next to us, leaving nothing behind". "If that bomb had fallen on the building we were in, we wouldn't be here talking to you anymore".

Russian forces have also tightened their grip on Ukraine’s supply lines to weaken West Bakhmut. On April 21, Moscow said it had gained control of a few hundred metres of a road, but Kiev said it could still move troops and supplies in and out as needed.

The current front line in the west runs south of the main railway station, which Ukraine has been using as a high ground. However, Russian forces have crossed the railway tracks here, advancing to the northwest and southwest edges.

The Wagner private military group was the main combatant on the Bakhmut front. Wagner's boss, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, regularly claimed that his forces were on the verge of capturing the entire city.

Inside the Ukrainian command bunker in West Bakhmut

A dank bunker in the western sector has been converted into a Ukrainian command centre. Computer screens show Russian positions about 3 miles away. Updates are provided by Ukrainian drones flying over Bakhmut.

A lieutenant using the code name "Plai" followed a Russian infantry unit moving along the courtyard between the buildings.

“We are watching for any movement,” Plai said. The image on the computer screen “zooms” into a ruined building and its coordinates are sent by radio to a nearby howitzer.

Wide-angle images show dozens of houses destroyed after months of heavy artillery fire from both sides.

"We will rebuild Bakhmut after this war is over," the lieutenant added.

For their part, the Russians also believe that they will be the ones to rebuild Bakhmut (called Artemovsk by the Russians) just as they are rebuilding the city of Mariupol, which they captured during the "special military operation". The port city was extensively destroyed during the Russian siege.

Inside the underground Ukrainian command center, the UAV's data warned of "weak GPS signal" and "interference with aircraft signals." The image began to spin. The screen then went black. The UAV may have crashed. Plai said their UAV had come too close to enemy jamming equipment.

Plai said fighting for Bakhmut has intensified over the past week, with both Russia and Ukraine sending reinforcements to the city and continuing to suffer heavy casualties. Both have deployed elite units to different points in Bakhmut to step up reconnaissance and ground operations.

The increased reconnaissance activity over a very small strip of territory in Bakhmut has forced Russian and Ukrainian troops to be more mobile. After firing from one position, these ground units have to quickly move to another location so that enemy UAVs overhead can call in artillery fire.

“If the enemy UAV sees where the bullets are coming from,” Corporal Bandit said, they can react immediately. “We come in, we act, and then we retreat. No one is waiting to react in the same place. The whole team can die if they sit in one spot too long.”