What the reports showed on the eve of 10 March 2023

What did the days before 10 March 2023 reveal about the war's pressure on Ukrainian civilians and cities? The reports available then pointed to two fronts: missile strikes far from the line of contact, and street fighting in the east.

On 9 March 2023, Russia launched cruise missiles at targets across Ukraine. Buildings and critical infrastructure were damaged. In Lviv Oblast, at least five civilians were killed when a missile destroyed their home, according to the region's governor, Maksym Kozytskyy.

In the east, the fighting for Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast had already reached the streets. On 4 March 2023, heavy street fighting was reported between Russian and Ukrainian troops. The city's deputy mayor, Oleksandr Marchenko, said that not a single building had remained untouched and that the city was almost destroyed.

The same day, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was filmed inspecting troops in what he described as the eastern military district in the south Donetsk direction, a rare high-level visit to the Donbas.

Taken together, the reports from those days showed the war reaching homes in the west of the country while the battle in the east consumed a city.