Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited positions of several units north of the Russian-held town of Bakhmut in eastern Donetsk Oblast. “Thank you for protecting the lives of our people,” said Zelenskyy in a published video recorded at a reception center for the wounded.
The head of state then presented awards to soldiers. He was accompanied by the head of his office, Andriy Yermak, his deputy Roman Mashovets and Brigadier General Artem Bohomolow. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar had previously announced that the Ukrainian units south of Bakhmut had recaptured three square kilometers of land last week.
Ukraine has been repelling a Russian invasion with Western help for over 17 months. However, including the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed in 2014, Moscow continues to occupy more than 100,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory.
