Fierce battles in Bakhmut as Russian missiles hit Kharkiv

Heavy fighting was underway Sunday in the northern parts of the frontline hotspot Bakhmut, while Russian missile strikes on Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv wounded five people.Despite the flow of Western weapons to Ukraine, Russia has in recent days claimed gains around war-ravaged Bakhmut in the eastern region of Donetsk.However, the head of Russia's mercenary group Wagner said Sunday that the Ukrainian army was not retreating and that fighting raged on in northern parts of Bakhmut."In the northern quarters of Artemovsk, fierce battles are going on for every street, every house, every stairwell," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a statement, referring to Bakhmut by its old name."The Ukrainian armed forces are fighting to the last," he said.Russian forces have been trying to seize control of Bakhmut in the eastern region of Donetsk for months in what has become the longest and bloodiest battle since Russia invaded Ukraine last February.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Kyiv's troops would fight for Bakhmut "as long as we can."He urged the West to supply Kyiv with sophisticated weapons to help his forces retain control of Bakhmut and speed up deliveries of heavy tanks.In his evening address on Saturday, Zelensky acknowledged that the situation was getting tougher.Russia, he said, was "throwing more and more of its forces at breaking down our defence"."It is very difficult now in Bakhmut, Vugledar, Lyman and other areas," he added, referring to the frontline towns in the east of the country.The British defence ministry said on Sunday that over the past week, Russia had made "small advances" in its attempt to encircle Bakhmut.The two main roads into the city for Ukrainian troops "are likely now both threatened by direct fire, following the Russian advances," the British defence ministry said."Bakhmut is increasingly isolated."Missile strikes in KharkivIn Ukraine's second city Kharkiv, a missile strike hit a residential building on Sunday, wounding four people, said Oleg Synegubov, head of the regional administration. Another strike left a security guard injured when a missile hit an institute in the northeastern city, he said.On Saturday, "the Russians killed four residents of the region of Donetsk," said Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the regional administration, adding that another 11 people were injured.