May 23, 2024 “Bakhmut never had the strategic importance of Kyiv, the capital, or the port city of Odesa, or Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-biggest city, or even Donetsk, the regional capital some 50 miles north of Bakhmut. The former mining city was best known for its sparkling wine.” -Sinéad Baker The struggle for Bakhmut lasted 320…