The battle for Bakhmut intensifies as the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters year two.

The eastern city of Bakhmut has been a Kyiv stronghold for more than six months, but Russian forces are pushing now to take control. As the fighting continues, the Russian Duma is tightening laws against what it calls “discrediting the military.” 

Joining the discussion:

• Vladimir Golstein is the chair of the Department of Slavic Studies at Brown University.
• Eugene Chausovsky is a geopolitical analyst.
• Anton Fedyashin who is a professor of history at American University.
• Oleksii Riabchyn is an adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine.

Russians intensify assault on Bakhmut, Ukrainian forces try to dig in https://t.co/GgPQZbIZ9i pic.twitter.com/dlbLjjTPCD

— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) March 1, 2023

The Ukrainian military might decide to pull troops back from the key stronghold of Bakhmut, an adviser to Ukraine's president said as Russia pursued a bloody, months-long offensive to capture the city. https://t.co/0O1ZUOUTDR

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 1, 2023