Zelensky visits front-line Donetsk region in east Ukraine
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presenting awards to troops in Druzhkivka – a town that lies about 15km from the front with invading Russian troops.
PHOTO: X/@ZELENSKYYUA
- Zelensky visited Donetsk to bolster defences amid a potential Russian spring offensive, stressing the importance of strong Ukrainian positions.
- The visit occurred despite data suggesting slowed Russian advances in February, with Ukraine successfully pushing back in some areas.
- Zelensky awarded soldiers in Druzhkivka, emphasising that strength on the front lines enhances Ukraine's negotiation position.
AI generated
KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the front-line region of Donetsk in east Ukraine, where his forces are fighting against a grinding Russian assault, he said on March 6.
The visit comes as Ukraine seeks to strengthen its front-line defences.
The Russian army recorded its slowest advance on the front in nearly two years in February, as Kyiv successfully pushed back in some areas, according to data from the Institute for the Study of War.
“The Russians are not abandoning the war, and here, in the Donetsk region, they are preparing an offensive for the spring,” Mr Zelensky said, in a post on X.
“It is important that our positions are strong,” he added.
He posted a video that appeared to show him in Druzhkivka – a town that lies about 15km from the front with Russia’s troops, which has come under regular Russian shelling.
During the visit, he also handed out awards to soldiers, he said in a separate Facebook post.
“The stronger we are here, the stronger we are in the negotiation process,” he said.
Mr Zelensky has made frequent visits to the front since Russia invaded in February 2022. AFP
