Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has officially visited the hard-fought eastern Ukrainian city of Bachmut. He paid tribute to the soldiers.
“I saw a lot of destruction in the area today. But the most important thing is the victory,” said Zelensky, according to a video released on Wednesday. After that, everything will be rebuilt, he promised.
You can also see how he awards medals to members of an artillery unit in a large hall. “I am honoured to recognize the best of our heroes, shake hands with you and thank you for defending our state and sovereignty,” Zelensky told the soldiers. “You have a difficult but historical job to protect our country and give everything back to Ukraine for our children.”
In addition, he visited a military hospital with the governor of the region, Pavlo Kyrylenko.
The city of Bachmut, which had a population of 70,000 before the Russian invasion in February 2022, has been the epicentre of fighting on Ukraine’s eastern front for months.
In recent weeks, Russian troops have advanced north and south of Bachmut, cutting off several Ukrainian supply routes.