Outgunned and outnumbered, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold a vital road between the ruined city of Bakhmut and nearby Chasiv Yar as Moscow's forces gain more ground in the Donbas.
'Road Of Life' Between Bakhmut and Chasiv Yar Remains Open, But Under Fire
- By RFE/RL
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Ukrainian armored personnel carriers drive from the smoldering city of Bakhmut to Chasiv Yar on April 6.
Ukraine's forces continue to transport critical troops and supplies into Bakhmut along the "road of life," despite Moscow's assertion that it controls 75 percent of the ruined city.
Ukraine's forces continue to transport critical troops and supplies into Bakhmut along the "road of life," despite Moscow's assertion that it controls 75 percent of the ruined city.
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Ukrainian soldiers fire a self-propelled howitzer toward Russian positions near Bakhmut on April 7.
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Ukrainian soldiers wave to each other along a road near the city of Bakhmut on April 8.
The brutal battle for "Fortress Bakhmut" is being called the bloodiest infantry battle since World War II.
The brutal battle for "Fortress Bakhmut" is being called the bloodiest infantry battle since World War II.
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The discarded boots of wounded Ukrainian soldiers sit outside a medical stabilization point at the front line in Bakhmut.
Both sides have suffered heavy casualties fighting for the largely destroyed city, which has become a symbol of Kyiv's defiance and Moscow's military failures.
Both sides have suffered heavy casualties fighting for the largely destroyed city, which has become a symbol of Kyiv's defiance and Moscow's military failures.
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A military medic gives first aid to an injured soldier.
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Ukrainian soldiers continue to evacuate civilians from Bakhmut -- mainly the elderly, the poor, and disabled -- under cover of darkness.
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The body of a dead Ukrainian soldier atop a tank near Bakhmut on April 9.
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The body of another dead Ukrainian soldier is removed near the front line in Bakhmut.
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A woman sits with her dog on a bench outside a damaged apartment building in Chasiv Yar on April 9.
Located on a hill just a few kilometers west of Bakhmut, the city of Chasiv Yar is likely to become the next bulwark against Moscow's forces, who have been accused of using "scorched earth" tactics to destroy Ukrainian cities and communities.
Located on a hill just a few kilometers west of Bakhmut, the city of Chasiv Yar is likely to become the next bulwark against Moscow's forces, who have been accused of using "scorched earth" tactics to destroy Ukrainian cities and communities.
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Ukrainian soldiers during a lull in the fighting near a trench in Bakhmut on April 10.
Kyiv claims its defense of Bakhmut is inflicting huge losses on the Russian invaders, but acknowledges that its own forces have paid the price, as well.
Kyiv claims its defense of Bakhmut is inflicting huge losses on the Russian invaders, but acknowledges that its own forces have paid the price, as well.
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A Ukrainian soldier looks at the bodies of dead Russian soldiers in a trench.
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A Ukrainian soldier rests on a tank turret.
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Ukrainian military commanders have said their own counteroffensive, backed by newly delivered Western tanks and other hardware, is not far off.
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Taking control of Bakhmut would allow Moscow's forces to focus on the garrisons in and around Chasiv Yar, another city largely destroyed by Russian shelling.
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A Ukrainian soldier who was injured during fighting in Bakhmut is evacuated in an intensive-care unit bus to a hospital in Dnipro on April 11.
Capturing Chasiv Yar would also open the way for the Russian military to advance on two bigger cities in the Donetsk region -- Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.
Capturing Chasiv Yar would also open the way for the Russian military to advance on two bigger cities in the Donetsk region -- Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.
