"The extent and the pace of damage in Gaza only compares to the heaviest-hit cities that we've seen in Ukraine," said Scher. "And those were much smaller areas. Mariupol and Bakhmut by area are smaller and the built-area density and clustering of structures was also much less."
Also civilians in Mariupol and Bakhmut were evacuated.
Most of Bakhmut's pre-war population of around 70,000 people fled the town a long time ago.
Ukrainian troops say it is hard to say how many civilians still remain in Bakhmut, with estimates ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 people.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230403-should-have-left-earlier-last-civilians-flee-bakhmut