*‘Only 100 meters apart’: Ukrainians and [Putin forces] face off in Donetsk.*

I read that the Putin forces' persistent focus on taking Bakhmut is that it is the next step toward capturing 100% of the Donetsk oblast. If they take Bakhmut, and then take Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, they could boast of holding 100% of one of the regions that Putin claims to have annexed this year.

In military terms, this would be worth nothing, but that's the sort of irrationality that tends to happen under an absolute ruler.