——Russia is attempting to take Bakhmut, is that not territory?——
Actually no. The Russian assault on Bakhmut is a token effort by commanders to show Putin and the commanders in Moscow that an effort to attack is being made. The effort against Bakhmut is just for show.
If you observe the overall battlefield you can easily see that even if the Russians do manage somehow to capture Bakhmut, they have created a vulnerable salient into Ukranian territory. As elsewhere over and over, that salient will be enveloped. The Russian troops will be trapped because they can’t get out by the single available road.
That exact circumstance has taken place over and over and over in recent weeks. In fact, the creation of Russian strong points has allowed the Ukranian envelopment tactics to be so successful.
Thank you for re-defining ‘territory’.
I hope Ukraine keeps ‘winning’.
Good luck.