Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited the headquarters of the Russian troops fighting in Ukraine’s Kherson Luhansk regions; the Kremlin said early Tuesday. It was his second trip to the Russian-held territories there since March.
According to a video released by the Kremlin and broadcast by Russian state television, Putin arrived by helicopter to receive reports from the top military brass about the combat situation.
He also met with military commanders and discussed the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
The visit was the latest by Putin to occupy Ukrainian territory to rally his forces as Russia’s invasion of the country has entered its 14th month. It also comes as Kyiv prepares for a possible counteroffensive to reclaim its occupied territories.
In September, Moscow annexed the Kherson and Luhansk regions along with Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia in a move that Kyiv and most of the world condemned as illegal.
Earlier this week, Russia deployed its airborne forces in the region of Donbas in eastern Ukraine to support the ongoing battle against the Ukrainian army and its allies. British military intelligence has said that the commander of the airborne troops, Col. Gen Mikhail Teplinsky, has taken a prominent role in the war.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian armed forces said that Russia has been using heavy artillery and air strikes around Bakhmut, which has been the center of the war in Ukraine’s eastern region for months. The battle in and around the town has raged for nearly eight months, resulting in significant losses on both sides, with Russian forces continuing to push forward to capture the city.
On Tuesday, Putin flew to the Kherson region in southern Ukraine by helicopter and was joined by senior Russian military leaders, the Kremlin said. He heard reports about the situation in Kherson and the nearby Zaporizhzhia region from commanders of the airborne forces and the “Dnieper” army group.
He then traveled by helicopter to the Russian National Guard headquarters in the Luhansk region, where he also received reports about the fight from commanders.
The head of state congratulated the troops on their Easter celebrations and presented them with icons, the Kremlin said in its report.
During the meeting, Putin told military commanders that it was essential to hear their opinions on how the situation was developing, listen to them, and exchange information.
He also praised the military for their professionalism, the Kremlin reported.
A video showed Putin disembarking a military helicopter in the Kherson region and greeting senior military commanders. He was flanked by a Russian commander of the airborne forces and a “Dnieper” army group general.
In addition to meeting with military commanders, Putin attended a meeting with China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu, the Kremlin said.
Putin’s visit to the Russian-held territories in Ukraine came as several European Union nations banned imports of Ukrainian grain and other foodstuffs into their countries over the conflict in the region. Poland, for example, went further than its neighbors in banning all goods from the disputed area.