![Russian mercenaries bombard Bakhmut as Moscow searches for a win](https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/220920222600-01-russia-mercenaries-wagner-bombard-bakhmut-intl-hnk-super-tease.jpg)
Russian mercenaries bombard Bakhmut as Moscow searches for a win
CNN
In the ruins of an apartment block tarred with soot and clouded in dust amid constant shelling, a small group of Ukrainian soldiers are face to face with a new type of Russian enemy: mercenaries, some of whom may be convicts sent to the front line.
The battle is as heated as it is crucial around the city of Bakhmut. Russian positions are within 200 meters of the Ukrainian military unit that CNN has joined. The unit is caught in a gruesome artillery duel, sheltering in basements, and using commercially purchased drones as the best line of defense and intelligence.
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The US and Ukraine are expected to sign a bilateral security pact on the sidelines of the G7 in Italy on Thursday, multiple people familiar with the matter told CNN, in a deal that lays out a path for the US’ long-term security relationship with Kyiv but that could also be undone by future US administrations.