Fall of Bakhmut

On May 20, 2023, Russia claimed control of Bakhmut, a city in Donetsk Oblast that became the war's longest single battle. Fighting lasted nine months from August 2022. Russian forces, led by Wagner Group mercenaries under Yevgeny Prigozhin, suffered an estimated 20,000–30,000 casualties to capture a city with 70,000 pre-war population. Ukraine used Bakhmut's defense to inflict losses on Russian forces. Prigozhin blamed Russian military leadership for insufficient support, creating tensions that contributed to his June 2023 mutiny against Moscow.