The fierce fighting at Bachmut has been likened to the muddy trench warfare of the First World War.

Large parts of the city have been razed to the ground by Russian artillery and many of the few civilians still there have sought refuge underground.

One of them is a little girl who lived in a bunker for several months.

- I try to forget the bombings, she tells the French public service company France Télévisions.

The AFP news agency has also visited the city.

A 75-year-old woman says she feels like a mole when her eyes adjust to daylight after hours in the basement.

During the interview, the whistle of artillery shells can be heard in the background.

- They are far away.

I have learned to determine where they are going, says the woman.

The soldier: Has retired

A Russian victory in Bachmut would make it easier for the Russians to advance further west towards the larger towns of Kramatorsk and Slovjansk.

By holding the city, the Ukrainians, on the other hand, hope to go deeper into the Russian-occupied Donbas.

The Ukrainian army is still holding its ground despite the constant Russian attacks, but due to the heavy pressure has been forced back in several places in the region.

- A week ago we held our positions but we have now been forced to retreat, says a Ukrainian soldier to EBU.

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The American company Maxar Technologies has released new satellite images of Bachmut in Ukraine.

It shows how much the city has been destroyed since August.

Photo: Maxar Technologies/Reuters