the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky On Wednesday he visited military positions near the battlefront town of Bakhmut in the country’s east, hours after Vladimir Putin sacked Chinese leader Xi Jinping after a three-day visit to Russia.
The visit took place on a new day of Russian attacks on civilians and infrastructure. In Zaporiya in southern Ukraine, at least one person was killed and 25 injured in an attack on a residential building, according to the city’s mayor.
“Donetsk region. Leading positions of the Ukrainian army in the Bakhmut area. It is an honor to be here today to reward our heroes. I shake their hands and thank them for protecting our country’s sovereignty,” Zelensky said in a message on social networks. .
The video released by Zelenski’s office shows the president meeting with the military in a warehouse and handing out decorations
Russian and Ukrainian forces fought for months for Bakhmut, held in Kiev, in the fiercest battle since the war began in late February last year.
Kiev says the fight for this industrial city, which had a pre-war population of around 80,000, is key to containing Russian forces all along the Eastern Front.
In a separate message, Zelensky explained that he visited wounded Ukrainian soldiers, and in one video he was seen visiting a hospital and saying goodbye to soldiers.
Zelensky previously visited Bakhmut late last year, shortly before a historic trip to the United States, his first abroad since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.
However, since then, the Russian forces they made progress in view of the capture of Bakhmut.
A Russian-appointed adviser to the head of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region said Wednesday that Russian forces were in the process of cutting road links of Ukraine with city.
“The city is practically blocked“Yan Gagin said in statements reported by Russian news agencies.
Zelensky also showed footage from the Zaporiya attack showing a shell crashing into a residential building and a large column of black smoke rising above the building.
“Unfortunately, one injured person, who was in serious condition, died,” city mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev said on Telegram, adding that 25 other people had been hospitalized.
Zelensky described the attack as “wild beast” and said Russia tried to “destroy our cities, our state, our people.”
Xi’s visit to Moscow
Zelensky’s visit came hours after Xi Jinping left Russia following a summit with his counterpart Vladimir Putin demonstrate unity before the Western powers.
Both nations, eager to counter the international influence of the United States, have expressed concerns about NATO expansion and agreed to deepen an alliance that has strengthened since the Russian offensive against Ukraine.
The Chinese leader’s visit was seen as an endorsement by Putin, who is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court on charges of illegal deportation of Ukrainian children.
The Russian leader has stated that he is willing to negotiate with Ukraine and praised the 12-point peace proposal presented by China, which calls for dialogue and respect for the territorial sovereignty of all countries.
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky explained that he had invited China to speak, but that still waiting for “an answer”.
In Russia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov referred to the UK’s plan to deliver munitions containing Impoverished uranium and stressed that this would mean a “serious” escalation of the conflict.
British Deputy Defense Minister Annabel Goldi said on Monday that her country intends to supply Ukraine with munitions that are “very effective in destroying modern tanks and armored vehicles”.
ap
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.