Russians Claim to Have Encircled Bakhmut, Kyiv Calls Situation ‘Extremely Tense’

Smoke during the shelling of the front line city of Bakhmut in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Feb. 9, 2023. Yevhen Titov/Reuters

All roads leading into the strategic town of Bakhmut are now under Russian control, Moscow’s military officials asserted this week.

The scene of fierce fighting for the past several months, Bakhmut is a key transport hub for Ukrainian forces deployed in the eastern Donetsk region.