The sounds of war mark the hour in Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine

BAKHMUT, Ukraine — In the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, silence does not exist. Days are measured not so much in time as in volume.< /p>

Yesterday was over calm, the morning was noisy, but the afternoon, when the Russians like to increase their bombardment in the south and east of the city, will certainly be noisier. So goes the thinking of many remaining Bakhmut residents.

"It's louder than usual," said Valeriy, a Bakhmut resident who refused to give his last name, as the crescendo of artillery fire rippled through his apartment building on Tuesday. "But they shoot every day."

In recent months, Russian forces have made Bakhmut one of the focal points in their quest to capture the eastern region of Donbass. The city's altered acoustics are one of the results of the near-constant bombardment since the summer, and by far the most prominent: thuds and explosions echo for miles.

With a pre-war population of around 70,000, Bakhmut once had a much different feel, with children playing, tourists visiting the town's famous vineyard, and walking trails bustling with locals .

Tuesday the noises in the city center were howling dogs, shearing strips of damaged roofs and a singing elderly woman, who was otherwise drowned out by the engine diesel of a Ukrainian tank heading for the front line.

Beyond the crumbling multi-storey buildings and Soviet-scale roads lies the seemingly endless coming and going of artillery. Some people sarcastically call it "rocket tennis".

Bombing is background noise until it's not. Its gravity is deciphered by determining distance, direction, and volume.

Ranged tap: machine gun fire.

Strong bang nearby: outgoing mortar.

Muffled blow further: outgoing howitzer.

Salvo from distant hits: rockets coming out.

Whistle overhead: artillery shells in flight.

Loud whistle followed...