- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Shirsky visited troops in the eastern Donetsk region.
- Russian forces have stepped up efforts to drive battered Ukrainian forces out of the east and northeast.
- Ahead of President Zelenskyy’s visit, Russian forces bombed the city of Seridove in Donetsk Oblast, causing extensive damage to several buildings.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Shirsky on Wednesday visited forces in the eastern part of Donetsk region, which has endured heavy Russian ground and air attacks in recent months.
Kremlin forces are stepping up efforts to oust exhausted and poorly armed Ukrainian forces from occupying the east and northeast, aiming to seize more ground over the spring and summer so that muddy fields can dry out and heavy military equipment can be brought into key regional locations.
Russia illegally annexed parts of Donetsk Oblast and three other regions shortly after invading Ukraine in 2022, and the Kremlin has made taking control of the entire region a top priority. Russia is seeking to leverage its military and weapon superiority before Ukraine receives promised Western supplies to the front line.
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Civilians are also feeling the force of the Russian onslaught. Ahead of President Zelenskyy’s visit, Russian forces dropped powerful glide bombs on the city of Seridove in Donetsk Oblast, causing heavy damage to 37 homes, six high-rise buildings and administrative infrastructure, regional officials said on Wednesday. No injuries were reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference at the Ukrainian Peace Summit in Obürgen, Switzerland, June 16, 2024. President Zelenskyy and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Shirskyy on Wednesday visited forces in the eastern part of Donetsk Oblast, which has endured heavy Russian ground and air attacks in recent months. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have shelled 20 settlements in the Donetsk region, killing one person and wounding at least nine, said the region’s head, Vadim Filashkin.
About 250 people have been evacuated from their homes in the Donetsk region since Tuesday, authorities said.
Zelenskyy also said he had spoken with local officials about public drinking water supplies, social issues, evacuation plans and the reconstruction of local homes.
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Zelenskiy said he wanted to seek better action from Kiev authorities overseeing these issues, without elaborating on what problems he identified or which officials he would speak with.
President Zelenskyy made frequent visits to front-line areas during the war.
He said the purpose of his visit to the Donetsk region was to introduce the new commander of the joint forces command, Andriy Khnatov.
Khnatov succeeds Yuri Sodr, who had held the position since February 2023.
Zelenskiy gave no reasons for the change, but it came after Bohdan Krotevich, the widely respected chief of staff of the Azov Brigade, released a statement accusing an unnamed general of “killing more Ukrainian soldiers than any other Russian general,” a likely reference to incompetent management of the military.
Several Ukrainian media outlets, citing anonymous military sources, said he was referring to Sodr.
