Once renowned for sparkling wine, the small city has been reduced to a hollowed-out shell of its former self. But Bakhmut, and the Ukrainian forces defending it, have hung on. "Bakhmut holds" has even become a battle cry for the nation as it fights back against the Russian invaders. But it's only just holding on.
Even a quick trip to see the central square must be undertaken with one eye on the clock, and the other vigilantly surveilling the sky. The barrage of artillery fire is constant. The sound of shells, incoming and outgoing, fills the air, punctuated by bursts of small arms fire.