Ukrainian Troops And Civilians Hunkering Down in Bakhmut,

Pressure is mounting on Ukrainian troops and civilians hunkering down in Bakhmut, as Kyiv’s forces try to help residents flee the beleaguered eastern city.

A woman was killed and two men were badly wounded by ‘shelling’ while trying to “cross a makeshift bridge out of Bakhmut” on Saturday, according to Ukrainian troops who were assisting them.

A Ukrainian army representative who asked not to be named for operational reasons told The Associated Press news agency that “it was now too dangerous for civilians to leave the city by vehicle, and that people had to flee on foot instead.”

For months, Bakhmut has been a key target of Moscow’s grinding eastern offensive, with Russian troops, including large forces from the private Wagner group, inching ever closer to Kyiv’s key eastern stronghold.

Aljazeera /Shakirat Sadiq