If there's one place in all of Ukraine that illustrates how the war there is going, it may be the city of Baknoot.

Everywhere here is in the line of fire. And the casualties on both sides have been staggering.

Since August, Russia and Ukrainian forces have been involved in a brutal tug of war over that city,

Baknoot is a very little strategic importance, but Russia badly needs a win,

and Ukraine is refusing to back down. The slogan Baknoot holds is ubiquitous now.

Ukrainian soldiers told us Russian forces are now on the edge of the city.

And they say they desperately need more modern weapons if they just stop Vladimir Putin's army in its tracks.

Late last week, the US promised to send a shipment of arms valued at $2.5 billion to Ukraine.

But there is something Ukraine badly wants. American made Abrams tanks, and the US won't give them.

And while the US is holding off on tanks, Germany is too.

Why, coming up on today, explained?

It's today explained. I'm Noel King. Isabelle Kurshudian is the Ukraine bureau chief for the Washington Post.

When I spoke to her recently, she was in Kiev, but over the summer, she was in the now fiercely contested city of Baknoot.

Baknoot is a city in eastern Ukraine, in what's known as the Donbas region.

You know, kind of an industrial region that have seen a lot of fighting really for the past nine years since 2014.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion, it's now become the front line and the hottest place on the front line.

On the front lines near Baknoot, there's a constant sound of shells flying overhead.

Let me go. Trenches and bunkers are the only cover out here.

What are you?

Ukraine install just wait for their reconnaissance drone teams to send them details of Russian troops.

But whenever they fire, Russian troops fire back.

I think the Russians placed a great level of importance on it, especially the Wagner paramilitary group,

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