The President visited the fighting forces in the Donetsk region of the Donbass region
The city of Bakhmut is still the focus of fierce fighting between the two sides of the conflict in Ukraine, especially since Russia has made controlling it a priority in its strategy to extend its influence over the entire Donbass region.
Amid this desperation, Kiev announced, on Wednesday, the arrival of President Volodymyr Zelensky to the front lines in the strategic city.
And according to the website of the Ukrainian presidency on the Internet, Zelensky visited the fighting forces in the Donetsk region of the Donbass region, in which Bakhmut is located.
However, it did not clarify when the visit took place exactly, but said that the president visited the frontline sites of the army in the Bakhmut region, where he listened to reports on the status of operations and the course of “hostilities” there.
She also added that the president spoke to the soldiers and thanked them for defending Ukraine, saying, “I am proud to be here today in eastern Ukraine, in the Donbass, to honor our heroes.”
It seems that Zelensky wanted to send a message by visiting Donetsk, implying adherence to this region despite the fall of areas of it in the hands of the Russians, noting that the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, visited a few days ago the city of Mariupol, which lies within its borders.
It is noteworthy that Bakhmut turned several weeks ago into an arena for the fiercest and bloodiest battles, while most of its inhabitants abandoned it. Especially since Moscow clings to its control, considering that achieving this goal will create a gap in the Ukrainian defenses, and constitutes a step towards seizing the entire industrial Donbass region, which has been a major target for Russian forces since the start of the war on February 24 of last year.