Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited troops in the eastern Donetsk region on Wednesday who have withstood fierce Russian ground and air attacks in recent months.
The forces of Kremlin have intensified their efforts to displace the exhausted and outmatched kyiv troops controlling areas of the It is and the northeast of Ukraine. Your goal is capture more ground during the summer as muddy fields dry out, allowing heavy military equipment to reach key positions in the field.
Russia illegally annexed parts of Donetsk and three other regions in 2022, shortly after invading Ukraineand the Kremlin considers it a priority take the control of all Donetsk. Moscow seeks to exploit its advantages in troops and weapons before Ukraine can be promised additional western supplies for the front.
Russia attacks Donetsk region
Los civilians They have also felt the force of the Russian onslaught. Before Zelensky’s visit, Russian forces launched a powerful glider bomb about the city of Selidove in Donetsk, causing extensive damage to 37 homes, six buildings multi-storey and administrative infrastructureThe regional authorities reported this Wednesday, without revealing information about injuries.
During the previous 24 hours, the Russian Army bombed 20 settlements of the Donetsk region, killing one person and injuring at least nine otherssaid regional head Vadym Filashkin. Nails 250 personas have been evacuated from their homes in the region of Donetsk since Tuesdaythe authorities added.
Zelensky also spoke with local officials about public drinking water supply, social issues, evacuation plans and the reconstruction of local homes. Furthermore, the president indicated that he wants a best response from kyiv officials who oversee those matters, although he did not give more details about the perceived problems or which officials he would discuss the issue with.
Zelensky replaces senior military commander
The Ukrainian president has frequently visited frontline areas during the war. The reason given for the visit to the Donetsk region was the presentation of the new commander of the Joint Forces CommandAndrii Hnatov, who replaced Yurii Sodol, who had held the position since February 2023.
Zelensky did not give a reason for the change, but it came after the Azov Brigade’s widely admired chief of staff, Bohdan Krotevych, issued a statement chastising an unnamed general for having “killed more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general.” “, in what was considered a reference to a incompetent troop management. Several Ukrainian media outlets, citing unnamed sources in the armed forces, said he was referring to Sodol.
