Russian invasion
Selenskyj on a front visit in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhia
President Volodymyr Zelenskyj (2nd from right) speaks to soldiers during his visit to the front in Soledar. photo
© Uncredited/Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/AP/dpa
In a field hospital, the Ukrainian President thanks the soldiers for their service. The counter-offensive with a focus on the Zaporizhia region has so far fallen short of the high expectations
Shortly after his trip to the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also visited positions close to the front in the south-eastern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia. “Thank you for the service, thank you for defending Ukraine on this important southern stretch,” said the head of state at a field hospital, according to a statement.
According to the information, up to 200 wounded people receive their first aid in the hospital every day. The president had visited the staffs of eight different brigades, it said. As on the previous day in Donetsk, he was accompanied this time by the head of his office, Andriy Yermak, and his deputy Roman Mashovets. Brigadier General Olexander Tarnawskyj, who is responsible for the entire front section, wrote on Telegram: “Together with the President and the fighters, we talked about our offensive.”
In his evening video speech, Zelenskyy said that he had been informed by the commanders, among other things, about the use of weapons and equipment that international partners had supplied to Ukraine.
Ukraine has been repelling a Russian invasion with Western help for over 17 months. Around ten weeks ago, the Ukrainian army launched a counter-offensive, focusing on the Zaporizhia region. So far, however, this has fallen short of the high expectations. Russia continues to occupy more than 100,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed in 2014.