President of Ukraine visits the war zone Donbass

President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) visits the areas of Ukrainian army outposts in Donbass – Photo: AFP

According to AFP news agency, Zelensky specifically visited command posts and frontline positions in the city of Lysychansk, opposite the city of Severodonetsk, across the river Siverskyi Donets. This is where Ukrainian forces have just repelled Russian forces.

He also visited the city of Bakhmut, located in the southwestern part of Donetsk Oblast, and spoke with servicemen.

President Volodymyr Zelensky (centre) talks with citizens who joined the army to defend the country in the Donbass region – Photo: AFP

“I want to thank you for your dedication and great work, for protecting all of us, for defending our country. I thank you all,” said President Zelensky.

Office of the President of Ukraine said the visit to war zone helped Zelensky “know the operational situation on the front lines”.

In a video broadcast late in the day, Mr Zelensky also recounted the trip, saying “I’m proud of the people I met, shook hands, talked to and supported”.

He said he went to the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia to meet people who have been evacuated from Mariupol who are currently staying there. The general situation is that most families have only women and children.

President Volodymyr Zelensky poses for a photo with Ukrainians forced from their homes due to the Russian military campaign, during a business trip to the Zaporizhzhia region – Photo: AFP

Mr. Zelensky said: “For some, their husbands are in the army. For some, their husbands are taken prisoner. For others, unfortunately, their husbands have passed away. It is tragic to have to live without a home, without loved ones. But they have to live for their children. They are true heroes and they live among us.”

According to Mick Ryan, retired Australian general and military scholar, President Zelensky’s trip to the war zone gave him an important real-time insight into military operations and was a morale booster for soldiers there. frontline.

It shows “he completely trusts his military. An important trait displayed by Mr. Zelensky is his willingness to take personal risks to visit soldiers in the field and understand how operations are done. Military action is underway,” Ryan wrote on Twitter on June 6.