To stay alive, soldiers in Ukraine's deadliest battle had to dart between buildings then stand still for hours

• Ukrainians fought to stay alive in Bakhmut against a much larger Russian force.
• Soldiers told Business Insider the city was so dangerous they couldn't set up proper defenses.
• One said they stood still for hours after sprinting to a new location, in case they were spotted.

Soldiers in Bakhmut, the scene of Ukraine's bloodiest battle, painted a bleak picture of their time there.

Death was always close — and would rarely come from an enemy you could see.

They stayed alive by sprinting between buildings to avoid drones and air strikes, several told Business Insider.

They would stand still for hours at a time, hoping to avoid being seen.