Putin Asserts Control over Bakhmut while Ukraine Maintains the Battle's Ongoing Nature

Image credit: Unsplash by ichitra.digital

Intense fighting and destruction in Bakhmut, Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022

[{"selector":"#anim-90af8dd9-54ef-4f5c-8e94-6919e7c1dedb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-80343f68-2174-419d-aea3-da8ccbe671a7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image credit: Wikimedia

Russian President Putin claims victory in capturing Bakhmut, aided by paramilitary group Wagner

[{"selector":"#anim-6f04bdb0-a57f-4136-bdfb-f58d409e1825","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b353964c-3bb9-459e-9383-d63c2f0f67e6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image credit: Wikimedia

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy denies Russian occupation of Bakhmut

[{"selector":"#anim-11e46dcc-38ab-4661-9969-2353d910e0c0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d19ce49d-0036-402a-a7f0-fe9acc269fe6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100.48544%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image credit: Wikimedia

City left with no standing buildings due to immense damage

[{"selector":"#anim-a241b785-ac5c-4280-a1ed-4abc91ed79bc [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-7.757781844843178%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8435f6b7-b2b2-4fb9-842c-6254296b7a21","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8d98c793-930a-446b-ac95-e6fcccd81e08","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image credit: Wikimedia

Ukrainian forces making progress on multiple front

[{"selector":"#anim-abb4c00c-8b42-49f8-9dcd-21c6a1059673","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-edecf9e1-16b2-4e54-b02c-b33f917d2f91","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image credit: Wikimedia

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Wagner, leads the battle but downplays involvement of regular armed force

[{"selector":"#anim-72be71bc-84cb-4d54-b0f8-76abf0ee0d0b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dbb58776-49cd-4b7d-a7a2-90398cd4fee5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100.48544%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image credit: Flicker

Ukrainian military denies Russian control, emphasizes ongoing heavy fighting

[{"selector":"#anim-b2d90812-7b72-4749-b313-19316dc15ab2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a8bee77a-5ba8-4105-a61b-4d1ad95795bb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image credit: Wikimedia

Bakhmut holds symbolic value for Russia, despite little strategic importance

[{"selector":"#anim-9485b7fc-f7aa-4b41-a433-4ffa2e3036d3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3be57440-892a-4e3b-9b33-5bfcf4c4ef21","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-99.27184%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image credit: Wikimedia

Offensive aimed to weaken Ukrainian forces and anticipate a counteroffensive

[{"selector":"#anim-2686d58d-66c2-48fd-b37f-f5d7c86a2fdf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e55c8a4c-88d4-4011-85e9-c30ea6f6c63d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image credit: Wikimedia

President Zelenskyy believes holding Bakhmut will exhaust Russian forces and deter further advancement

[{"selector":"#anim-f51eb78c-4b00-42a6-b5d7-e03a43e5649c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-abc8e1e7-c013-4cc1-8759-4360eb68027a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image credit: Wikimedia

Prigozhin criticizes Russian army leadership, announces Wagner's withdrawal

[{"selector":"#anim-bf8eae5a-4627-4827-9dfb-df6aa56f4819","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-22cf068c-992f-4c91-b420-6c24d63dd9bd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image credit: Wikimedia

Russia's army expected to defend against upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive.

[{"selector":"#anim-516d3a57-5426-431e-835a-32b3307e87dc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7df2508f-2801-4cc9-bae2-00cd1561edf1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image credit: Wikimedia Jamie foxx