KYIV (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited troops on Tuesday in the small eastern city of Avdiivka and was briefed by commanders on the battlefield situation, his office said.
Avdiivka has been one of the main targets of a Russian winter offensive which was intended to reinvigorate Moscow’s full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022, but has made only small territorial advances in the east.
A video released by the president’s office showed Zelenskiy addressing troops in combat gear and handing them awards in what appeared to be a large industrial warehouse with sandbags packed against at least one of the high walls.
“I have the honour to be here today, to thank you for your service, for defending our land, Ukraine, our families,” he said.
Zelenskiy was also shown visiting a hospital where he inspected facilities, met wounded soldiers and handed out awards.
The video footage released by the president’s office also showed heavily damaged high-rise residential buildings in Avdiivka, where Ukrainian officials say about 1,800 civilians still remain.
Zelenskiy has repeatedly visited troops near the frontline several times in recent weeks. The Kremlin said on Tuesday President Vladimir Putin had visited Russian troops, in Russian-occupied parts of the Kherson and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, but did not say when.
Zelenskiy was accompanied in Avdiivka by Andriy Yermak, the head of the president’s office, who said Ukrainian troops were successfully repelling Russian attempts to encircle the city.
He said fierce battles were under way in several other towns or cities in the region, and that “successful defence” was key in these places.
“Our army has already broken the enemy’s plans to break through the (Ukrainian) defences and advance in the east,” Yermak said on the Telegram messaging app.
(Reporting by Olena Harmash, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
