2023-04-18 07:28:17
18.04.2023
The Russian president listened to the reports of military leaders and took an interest in the situation on the southern and eastern fronts. This is Putin’s first trip to these Ukrainian regions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited the headquarters of two troop units fighting in the Ukrainian regions of Kherson y Luhanskannexed by Russia last September, where it was interested in the situation on the southern and eastern fronts, the Kremlin reported this Tuesday (04.18.2023).
“The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation visited the headquarters of the Dnieper group in the direction of Kherson,” said the Russian Presidency in a brief statement published on its website about Putin’s first visit at the head of this region in almost 14 months of military campaign in Ukraine.
Shortly thereafter, the Kremlin also reported Putin’s visit to the “headquarters of the “Vostok” (East) unit of the National Guard in the Lugansk people’s republic.” It is also the first trip of the president to this Ukrainian province.
According to the Kremlin, at the headquarters of the Dnieper group, the Russian president heard reports from the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel General Mikhail Teplinski, from the commander of this group of forces, Colonel General Oleg Makarevich, and from other military leaders.
This is Putin’s first visit to the Kherson region, which Russian troops only partially control and withdrew from the northern third last November. On March 19, he visited Mariupol, in the eastern Donetsk region.
At the headquarters of the “Vostok” group in Lugansk, Putin in turn listened to reports from Colonel General Alexandr Lapin and other high command about the situation on this front. The Lugansk region is almost 100 percent controlled by Russia, unlike neighboring Donetsk, where it has taken almost half of the territory and where its only offensive is currently taking place in the cities of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinka.
As quoted by the Interfax agency to the Kremlin, “President Putin’s trips to the Kherson region and the Lugansk People’s Republic, as well as to the headquarters of (the groups) Dnieper and Vostok were not prepared in advance.” The Russian president also congratulated the military on Orthodox Easter and presented them with a copy of a religious icon that belonged, he said, to “one of the most successful defense ministers of the Russian Empire,” TASS reported.
ies (EFE, AFP)
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