Ukraine's Zelenskyy visits troops at front
In this handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on Wednesday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy records a video message on his mobile phone in front of a road sign marking the entrance to Zaporizhzhia, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy said on Wednesday he had visited troops at the southeastern front line, where Kyiv has claimed recent gains against Russian forces. AFP-Yonhap
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday he had visited troops at the southeastern front line, where Kyiv has claimed recent gains against Russian forces.
During the visit, Zelenskyy presented medals to soldiers.
Ukraine said earlier this month it had retaken around 26 villages in an area spanning three eastern and southern regions.
AFP could not independently verify the claim.
"Today, together with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapaty, we are working on the front line in the Oleksandrivsky sector," Zelenskyy said on social media.
He also met commanders to discuss drone and artillery supplies, along with "AWOL issues, as well as the training and motivation of our warriors."
After four-and-a-half years of grinding war against Russia, the outmanned and outgunned Ukrainian army has been plagued by mass desertions and problems with conscription.
This year, Kyiv has managed to stabilise the front, now dominated by swarms of drones, which have made swift troop movements almost impossible.
Russia occupies almost one-fifth of Ukraine, including the annexed peninsula of Crimea and areas of the industrial Donbas region that were already under pro-Russian separatist control before Moscow invaded in February 2022.
Most Russian advances came in the first weeks of the invasion, with subsequent territorial gains coming at the cost of large numbers of lives.