Russia has struggled for months to capture the largely bombed-out city in Donetsk province which Ukrainian forces refer to as "Fortress Bakhmut." With the aid of paramilitary soldiers from Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner Group, Russia has come closer to surrounding the city in recent weeks, advancing from the east, north and south.

Satellite images from the Vuhledar area, south of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, reveal the extent of damage in areas that have suffered intense artillery shelling.