Russian media reported, on Sunday morning, that President Vladimir Putin arrived in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which his forces control, on a surprise visit, the first of its kind since the outbreak of the war with Kiev.
What did Putin do in Mariupol?
- Russia’s Tass news agency reported that Putin arrived in Mariupol, which Russia has controlled since the start of the Ukraine war last year, as part of a “business trip”.
- She added that he arrived in the city, which is located in the Donetsk region in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine, via a helicopter, and he also moved around several regions while driving a car.
- The agency said he inspected a number of projects in the city and spoke to residents there.
- Putin heard details from officials regarding the progress of reconstruction and restoration work in the port city.
- This is Putin’s first visit to Ukrainian territory controlled by his forces since the start of the war.
- On Saturday, Putin visited Crimea, on the ninth anniversary of its annexation to Russia.
Military meeting in conjunction with the visit
State media reported that Putin met with the top leadership of his military operation in Ukraine, including the chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, who is in charge of the war.
She added that the meeting took place at the Rostov-on-Don command center in southern Russia, according to Archyde.com.
During that visit, Putin drove an SUV himself.
Information regarding Mariupol
- The city of Mariupol was bombed by Russia on the first day of the war (February 24, 2022), then it was besieged at the beginning of March, before it fell into the hands of Russian forces in late April of that year.
- The city on the Sea of Azov, branching from the Black Sea, is one of Russia’s most important strategic goals in the war.
“Putin arrived in Mariupol by helicopter, and toured some of its districts with a car he drove himself.”
Russian agency “Tass”.
- Russia considered that Mariupol became part of its territory following it annexed it to it following the referendum that took place in September 2020.
- Residents of 4 Ukrainian regions that have been controlled by Russia since the start of the war took part in the referendum.
A company belonging to the Russian army restores the homes of Ukrainians in Mariupol
- Mariupol became Russian because it is part of the Donetsk region, but Ukraine and behind it the West refused to recognize this annexation.
- Its strategic importance is due to its geographical location, as it has the largest port on the Sea of Azov.
- In April 2014, the city became part of the separatist Republic of Donetsk (unilaterally declared), before the Ukrainian authorities regained it in June of the same year as a result of an offensive operation waged by regular army forces and members of the Azov Battalion.
- Since that time, Mariupol has become an important military and political center for the Ukrainian authorities on the line of contact between the two parties to the armed conflict in Donbass, but it eventually fell into the hands of the Russians.
