Eight months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the streets of Bachmut echo empty.
An overwhelming majority of the city's 70,000 inhabitants have fled, writes the BBC.
Among those who remain, most are pensioners without the possibility of getting to safety further west, Ukrainian police say.
According to Ukrainian authorities, the city lacks both electricity and water supply, which could have severe consequences during the coming winter.
- The police try to help as much as we can, especially the elderly.
We are driving out and distributing humanitarian aid, a Ukrainian police officer said in a video published by the country's police authority.
The Wagner Group in place
At the same time, there are many indications that the difficult situation in the city may be prolonged.
While Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russia's along large parts of the front line, the fighting in Bachmut has not moved significantly in any direction for several months, writes the Washington Post.
Russian state media say the paramilitary Wagner group is responsible for the offensive against the city, which is also confirmed by its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
"The situation at Bachmut is difficult.
The Ukrainian troops are putting up decent resistance, and the rumor about fleeing Ukrainians is just a rumor," writes the Russian oligarch on Telegram, according to CNN.