For months, Russian forces have been attempting to seize control of Bakhmut in Donetsk's eastern region, in what has become the longest and bloodiest battle since Russia invaded Ukraine last February

Heavy fighting erupted in the northern outskirts of the frontline hotspot Bakhmut on Sunday, while Russian missile strikes on Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv injured five people.

Despite the flow of Western weapons into Ukraine, Russia has recently claimed gains in the area around war-ravaged Bakhmut in Donetsk's eastern region.

However, Wagner, the head of Russia's mercenary group, stated on Sunday that the Ukrainian army was not retreating and that fighting continued in northern Bakhmut.

“Fighting for every street, every house, every stairwell is going on in the northern quarters of Artemovsk, Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a statement, referring to Bakhmut by its old name. The Ukrainian armed forces are fighting to the bitter end,” he said.

For months, Russian forces have been attempting to seize control of Bakhmut in Donetsk's eastern region, in what has become the longest and bloodiest battle since Russia invaded Ukraine last February.

The battle for Bakhmut has reduced the town's pre-war population of approximately 75,000 people to a ghost town dotted with hedgehog anti-tank defences and burnt-out cars. There is no water, gas, or electricity in the town.

About 20 people, including two soldiers, attended a Sunday mass in the basement of the deserted town's golden-domed All Saints' church.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Kyiv's troops would fight for Bakhmut “as long as we can.” He urged the West to supply Kyiv with sophisticated weapons to help his forces maintain control of Bakhmut and to expedite heavy tank deliveries.

Zelensky acknowledged the worsening situation in his evening address on Saturday.

Russia, he said, was “throwing more and more of its forces at breaking down our defence.” “It's very difficult now in Bakhmut, Vugledar, Lyman and other areas,” he added, referring to the eastern frontline towns.

The British defence ministry said on Sunday that Russia had made “small advances” in its attempt to encircle Bakhmut over the previous week.

Following Russia's advances, the two main roads into the city for Ukrainian troops “are likely now both threatened by direct fire and Bakhmut is becoming increasingly isolated,” according to the British defence ministry.

Missiles hit Kyiv

Moscow has been systematically targeting Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, including the energy grid, for months, leaving millions in the dark and cold in the dead of winter.

According to Oleg Synegubov, head of the regional administration in Ukraine's second city Kharkiv, a missile strike hit a residential building on Sunday, injuring four people. Another strike injured a security guard when a missile hit an institute in the city's northeastern outskirts, he said.

“The Russians killed four residents of the Donetsk region on Saturday,” said Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the regional administration, adding that 11 more people were injured.