Official: 1,000 locals remain near Bakhmut

Around 1,000 residents are still in Chasiv Yar, a small city just west of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, Serhii Chaus, the head of the Chasiv Yar Military Administration, told Suspilne news outlet on July 8.

The community, which was once home to over 13,000 people, is experiencing constant Russian shelling, missile strikes, and air attacks as the fighting on Bakhmut's northern and southern flanks are ongoing.

Chaus added that the authorities only managed to evacuate four people over the past week, as many were reluctant to leave the area.

According to Chaus, one pharmacy and five grocery stores are still operating in Chasiv Yar, where over 90 percent of the buildings have been damaged and most houses are abandoned.

Read also: Ukraine continues to grind down Russia near Bakhmut

The Bakhmut area has become the epicenter of fighting during Russia’s war. It is now one of the directions where Ukrainian forces are conducting its counteroffensive, which was launched in early June.  

Ukraine's forces are advancing daily by “at least 500 meters,” despite lacking military hardware like F-16 fighter jets, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi told the Washington Post on June 30.

General Zaluzhnyi said the counteroffensive is “not a show,” commenting on some complaints of Ukraine's slow progress at the front.

“Every day, every meter is given by blood,” Zaluzhnyi said.

Read also: ‘It’s a lottery’: How Ukraine’s assault brigade counterattacks near Bakhmut