The battle for Bakhmut is the longest and bloodiest fight of the war so far, and it is heating up again. What makes the city so important and what's the state of play?
For Ukraine, the loss of Bakhmut could sap morale, even if — as its allies say — it might not make much of a strategic difference.
Retaining the city helps sustain support from Western countries, proving it is making a difference, according to Michael Kofman, an expert on the Russian military at the US-based CAN think-tank. While mounting evidence suggests the Kremlin has moved to curb what it sees as his excessive political clout, nobody could dispute that Wagner mercenaries, including convicts recruited by Mr Prigozhin, have played a major role as assault troops.
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