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In Photos: Life in Bakhmut as Russian and Ukrainian Forces Wage Fierce Battles

The city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region has been the epicenter of fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces for months.

With a pre-war population of about 70,000, Bakhmut is known for its expansive salt mines and its wines.

It now lays mostly in ruins as Russian forces continue to pulverize the city in an effort to wrest it from Ukrainian control.

While nearly all civilians have fled the war zone, a number of residents remain — many of whom are elderly, sick or do not have the means to leave.

These photos depict scenes of everyday life amid the fighting: