Civilians flee embattled town as Ukrainian pullout looms

A woman was killed and two men were badly wounded by shelling while trying to cross a makeshift bridge out of Bakhmut on Saturday, according to Ukrainian troops who were assisting them. It said Ukrainian troops may “conduct a limited and controlled withdrawal from particularly difficult sections of eastern Bakhmut,” while seeking to inhibit Russian movement there and limit exit routes to the west. ADVERTISEMENTAs the fighting raged on, civilians remaining in the area spoke about their daily struggles amid near-constant enemy fire. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited a command post of Russia’s Eastern forces, where he was briefed by regional commander Rustam Muradov, according to a video published by the ministry. In the western city of Lviv, hundreds of kilometers from the war’s front lines, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Saturday with the head of the European Union parliament.