The battle for Bakhmut: Ukrainian city's last residents survive under artillery fire

Many of Bakhmut’s remaining residents are elderly, and many gather at aid points where they can warm themselves and eat hot meals and drink coffee. © FRANCE 24 screengrab

Battle is raging in Bakhmut. The city is currently the most active and violent front line in the war for Ukraine. After a string of defeats in Kharkiv and Kherson, the Russian army is scrambling to make gains, pouring soldiers and Wagner mercenaries into Bakhmut. FRANCE 24's reporters James André and Mayssa Awad visited the city to see how its last remaining residents are holding on under constant artillery fire.    

The sound of war is constant in Bakhmut, to the point that residents don’t even react when the shells fly over anymore. Most buildings have had their windows shattered or have been completely destroyed.