President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he visited Lysychansk and Soledar, two cities very close to some of the most intense fighting on the eastern frontline between Ukrainian troops and Russian forces.
The beleaguered city of Lysychansk is just a few miles south of Severodonetsk, where one of the war’s biggest ground battles continues to rage and which Ukraine claims to be regaining more control of.
“I went with the head of (my) office to the east. We were in Lysychansk and Soledar,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address, adding he would not elaborate on the visit.
In two separate videos released later, Mr Zelensky, dressed in his trademark khaki t-shirt, was seen talking to troops in confined, bunker-like structures, presenting some with awards and addressing others.
“What you all deserve is victory – that is the most important thing. But not at any cost,” Mr Zelensky said in one of the videos.
The visits were rare outings by the president outside the capital Kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion, and could be the closest to the frontline yet.
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