Zelensky visits front-line troops in Ukraine
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) visited front-line troops near Lyman, in eastern Ukraine, on Sept 30. He was welcomed by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapaty (centre) and Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevgeniy Khmara (right).
PHOTO: REUTERS
- President Zelensky visited front-line troops near Lyman, eastern Ukraine, to discuss their missions and present state awards amid ongoing fighting.
- Ukrainian forces launched a counter-offensive called "Operation Vivaldi" and recaptured territory around Lyman.
- The front-line remains heavily contested with high human losses and constant drone attacks; Russia aims to capture the Donetsk region.
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KYIV - President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sept 30 visited front-line troops near Lyman, an embattled town in eastern Ukraine, where they have launched a counter-offensive against Russian forces and said he had discussed their battles.
“Today, I met here with the warriors carrying out missions in the Lyman sector and presented them with state awards. I also spoke with the brigade commander about the missions the unit is carrying out,” Zelensky said on social media, posting a video of him at a command post.
The Ukrainian leader has frequently visited front-line areas since Russia invaded in February 2022.
He said Ukrainian troops had recaptured territory around Lyman - part of a counter-offensive dubbed “Operation Vivaldi”.
Both armies remain largely bogged down along the sprawling front-line, which is now characterised by a “kill zone” either side, where explosive-packed drones lurk in the skies to detect movement before crashing down onto targets below.
Rare territorial gains for either side have come at a huge human loss.
Moscow is fighting to capture the whole of the eastern Donetsk region, which it claims as its own.
It has targeted a series of heavily fortified front-line towns, including Kramatorsk and Sloviansk - much of which have been flattened by years of aerial bombings. AFP