Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited troops near the embattled city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
In a video shared on social media on Saturday, Zelensky was seen presenting medals to soldiers and briefings on the command post.
Zelenskyy then headed to the Kharkiv area for another force visit and held a meeting with military leaders.
Pokrovsk has been the target of Russian attacks since mid-2024. Although some Russian troops have been promoted to their southwest locations in the city, they have recently failed to achieve further territorial growth.
The full capture of Donetsk remains one of Russia’s main military targets, and it is now in its fourth year.
In September 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya in the Ukrainian region, although Russian troops only partially control these areas. Russia previously annexed Crimea in 2014.
In a recent meeting with business leaders, Putin reportedly warned that Moscow could claim additional Ukrainian territory.
It is not clear when Zelensky visited the East. The trip comes ahead of a ceasefire talks held in Saudi Arabia on Monday. U.S. negotiators will meet with delegations from Ukraine and Russia respectively.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the command post of the Pokrovsk tactical organization during his working visit to the Donetsk region. – /Ukrainian President/DPA
