Bakhmut: American and Russian PMCs Standing Eye-to-Eye

On May 17th, 2022, after the fall of Popasna, Luhansk Oblast, Russian Ground Forces began their artillery bombardment of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast. That bombardment has been ongoing and part of a major axis of advance by the Russian Ground Forces. On August 1st, 2022, the Russian Ground Forces began their first major assaults on the settlement. However, during the September counter-offensive into Kharkiv Oblast and the October counter-offensive which successfully restored Kherson city to Ukrainian control, the front around Bakhmut was relatively stable with Russian Ground Forces making tactical gains.