The dire situation in the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine escalated to grim heights on Friday, as reports emerged that the Russian forces' relentless bombardment and effort to seize the city had Russian mercenary group Wagner's leader, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, claiming "the pincers are closing" on the city. Prigozhin further added in a video posted on Telegram that only one road remains under Ukrainian control, and beckoned Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to abandon the city.

In the face of aggression from the Russian forces, Ukraine’s soldiers have remained determined and committed to hold the line, with the commander of Kyiv's eastern group of forces, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky visiting some of his troops in Bakhmut as reported by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. The ministry also stated