Why does the Russian Army keep attacking Bakhmut?

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."A Ukrainian city Russia has been pounding into rubble is thought to be on the brink of being captured by Vladamir Putin’s troops in a rare win for the invaders.

Bakhmut is in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, part of which is under the control of Russia and its proxy forces.

For weeks, Russian forces have been stepping up their drive to encircle the town and seize what would be its first major prize in more than six months.

The Ukrainian leadership vowed again this week to keep defending the city, but some observers have warned that holding on to it could be too dangerous and costly.

Why is Bakhmut important?
The industrial city of salt and gypsum mines – which is also known for its sparkling wine production in historic underground caves – has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.

Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region of the country’s industrial heartland known as the Donbas, had a pre-war population of around 70,000, but now lies in ruins after months of intense trench warfare."...