KYIV (Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday he had visited a Ukrainian army command post used by troops protecting the besieged eastern city of Chasiv Yar, where Russian forces are moving.
The Ukrainian leader, who will meet his allies at the NATO-Ukraine Council video link on Friday, said he had spoken to troops from the 41st Mechanized Brigade and presented them with awards.
The scale was aimed at boosting the morale of Ukrainian troops, 25 months after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, which shows no signs of slowing down. Moscow’s troops occupy 18% of Ukrainian territory and are gradually advancing eastwards.
Zelenskiy said on X that he also visited a medical platoon of paratroopers and inspected the structure of the fortifications. “Every effort will have to be made in this regard. “
Kyiv has stepped up its efforts to build defense lines, and officials warn that Russia could prepare a primary offensive later this spring or summer.
It’s unclear exactly how far the command post is from Chasiv Yar, a strategically located top-floor town that could be the site of a first war in the coming weeks.
A video shared through Zelenskiy showed a sign in front of the town of Slaviansk, about 30 kilometers from Chasiv Yar, which has recently seen an intensification of Russian attempts to advance.
Ukraine’s army leader said Russia aims to capture the city in May, in a bid to pave the way for further advances in the region. Kyiv’s brigades stopped the attacks.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Tom Balmforth; editing by Kevin Liffey and Philippa Fletcher)
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