Ukrainian forces push to encircle Bakhmut amidst ongoing conflict with Russia.

Ukrainian forces are pushing to encircle the devastated city of Bakhmut, despite holding only small footholds there, in a move to extend the fight there and tie up Russian forces. The city has become the war's bloodiest battlefield, with both sides suffering heavy losses. Ukrainian officials and military personnel have reported gains on the Russian flanks, while Russia has claimed to have captured the entire city. The fight for Bakhmut has confounded some analysts, who describe it as strategically irrelevant to the broader war.