Ukrainian forces still trying to hold Bakhmut despite heavy casualties

Soldiers and analysts suggest defending city has become more of a political than practical issue, as Russian push continues

• Russia-Ukraine war: latest updates

Ukrainian soldiers are being pummelled on three sides by Russian forces who are trying to capture Bakhmut, a city in the eastern Donetsk region that has become the focus of the longest and one of the bloodiest battles since the war began.

Ukraine's authorities insist they will continue to try to hold the city despite them suffering an estimated 100-200 casualties a day - with some saying the reason is more political and symbolic than practical. Retreating from the city now, after so many soldiers died fighting to keep it, would be a hard reality to face.