Ukrainian soldiers, almost surrounded, repel the Russians

CHASIV YAR, Ukraine — Lined up in the dark in civilian vehicles, the lights dimmed, a company of soldiers waited silently at the side of a road. Farther behind, a second company was parked, an occasional light inside a car revealing a soldier's face. Further still, a third company was settling in.

After months of epic struggle, the struggle for the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut seemed to be reaching a climax in recent days. climax, with Russian forces about to encircle the city and the withdrawal of some Ukrainian units.

Then, early Saturday, Ukrainian assault brigades launched the attack. Over the weekend, hundreds of troops joined the counteroffensive, launching assaults from the ground and pounding Russian positions with artillery from the surrounding hills.

Ukrainian commanders have acknowledged that their forces in Bakhmut still face the risk of encirclement, but the weekend fighting showed that an army that surprised the world with its stubbornness was not yet ready to give up Bakhmut. It was less clear how the city outfit might fit into his larger plans.

Even before Ukraine stepped up its attack on the Russians in Bakhmut that weekend, his forces had moved to push back the Russian troops from the last main highway into the city. This preserved both a line of supply that helped Ukrainian soldiers pin down the Russian offensive for months and an escape route for them should they decide to retreat.

ImageUkrainians head to the front line near Bakhmut on Sunday.

ImageAn apartment building destroyed by an artillery strike in Chasiv Yar.

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