[ti:Ukraine War Turns Once-Lively Bakhmut into Ghost-like City] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]The war in Ukraine has completely changed [00:04.32]the eastern city of Bakhmut. [00:08.20]The city used to be a popular tourist site, [00:12.64]where visitors could explore the area's late 19th century buildings. [00:19.20]The city also has a large lakeside park [00:23.64]and offers locally-produced wines. [00:27.16]But that has all changed. The longest battle against invader Russia [00:34.40]has turned Bakhmut into a ghost town. [00:38.88]Bakhmut sits about 100 kilometers from Russia's border. [00:45.96]Even after months of bombings and attempts [00:49.84]to surround Bakhmut, Russian forces have not captured the city. [00:56.08]But, the continued attacks have made it impossible [01:00.52]for civilians there to have a normal life. [01:05.44]Ukrainian Petro Voloschenko [01:08.60]is a soldier known on the battlefield as Stone. [01:13.48]He told the Associated Press about current life in the city, [01:19.00]"It's hell on earth right now; [01:21.96]I can't find enough words to describe it." [01:25.84]The 44-year-old Voloschenko, who comes from Kyiv, [01:30.92]arrived in the area in August when the Russian attacks started. [01:37.24]Since then, he has celebrated his birthday, [01:41.56]Christmas and New Year's in Bakhmut. [01:45.92]Today, the city is in ruins. [01:49.44]Most houses have been crushed completely [01:52.84]or are so damaged they cannot be lived in. [01:56.40]Only a few thousand people remain in the city, [02:01.12]which had a prewar population of 80,000. [02:05.56]Those people rarely see daylight though [02:09.40]because they spend most of their time sheltering underground. [02:14.68]Explosions happen all hours of the day. [02:19.32]And, Russia could bomb the city anywhere at any time. [02:24.36]Bakhmut lies in the Donetsk area, [02:28.80]one of four provinces Russia illegally seized in the autumn. [02:34.52]But currently, Russia only controls about half of the province. [02:40.40]To take the remaining half, [02:43.16]Russian forces must go through Bakhmut, [02:47.12]said Mykola Bielieskov. [02:49.84]He is a researcher [02:52.00]at Ukraine's National Institute for Strategic Studies. [02:57.24]"Without seizure of these cities, [03:01.04]the Russian army won't be able to accomplish [03:04.52]the political task it was given," Bielieskov said. [03:08.96]The situation in Bakhmut worsened during the summer [03:14.48]after Russia took the last major city [03:18.00]in neighboring Luhansk province. [03:21.24]It then sent troops and equipment [03:24.68]into the effort to capture Bakhmut. [03:28.20]Ukraine did the same to defend the city. [03:32.24]In a recent speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy [03:38.64]described the situation in Bakhmut as "very tough." [03:44.28]"These are constant Russian assaults. [03:48.36]Constant attempts to break through our defenses" Zelenskyy said. [03:54.56]For now, Bakhmut remains completely [03:58.44]under the control of Ukraine's army. [04:01.76]In January, Russian forces seized the town of Soledar, [04:08.32]which sits less than 20 kilometers away. [04:12.32]But Russia's push into the area [04:15.92]has been very slow, military experts say. [04:21.20]I'm Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM