Contested Ukrainian location: Zelenskyj visits the front in Bakhmut

Bakhmut is considered the most heavily contested Ukrainian location on the entire front. Now the Ukrainian President Selenskyj surprisingly visited soldiers there, presented medals and Christmas presents.

On the 300th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, its President Volodymyr Zelenskyj made a surprise visit to the heavily contested city of Bakhmut in the east of the country. “He visited the foremost positions, awarded fighters medals and valuable gifts,” said his spokesman, according to state television.

The channel showed a short video in which Zelenskyj awarded medals to soldiers. “I wish there was light, but the situation is so difficult that there is light – and then no more,” said Zelenskyy, alluding to the power outages across the country after massive Russian bombing raids in recent weeks. After the ceremony, Selenskyj left the city again, his spokesman said.

The visit may have been the president’s most dangerous to date. Before that he was already in Sloviansk and also in Cherson.

Most fiercely fought for weeks

It was only on Monday that Selenskyj described Bakhmut as the “hottest point” – for weeks the city has been the most fiercely contested place on the entire more than 1300-kilometer front. Russian troops have been trying to capture the city in the Donetsk region since the summer.

In the meantime, Bakhmut has been badly damaged, but is still held by the Ukrainian army. The losses are likely to be high on both sides. According to Western military experts, the Russian mercenary group Wagner played a particularly important role in the battles for Bakhmut.

Putin wants to announce military targets

Unlike the Ukrainian President, Russia’s head of state Vladimir Putin has not yet visited the front. But he also gave out medals. State television showed how Putin honored soldiers and personalities from politics and business in the Kremlin.

According to the Kremlin, Putin wants to meet high-ranking military officials on Wednesday to announce military goals for the coming year.

New attack feared

Various politicians in Ukraine had warned in the past few days and weeks that Russia could start a new offensive in the spring and try again to take the capital Kyiv. However, military experts doubt that the Russian army is still capable of doing so. According to the US government, opinions on this also differ in Russia.

“Certainly there are some who I think want to press ahead with offensives in Ukraine,” a senior US State Department official told reporters. “Others have serious doubts about Russia’s ability to actually implement it.” The US has indications of a “significant shortage” of ammunition in parts of the Russian army.