Ukrainian President visits frontline city in eastern Ukraine WGN Radio 720

Along: Kyiv, Ukraine, Associated Press

Post: December 20, 2022 / 5:10 AM CST

Has been updated: Dec 20, 2022 / 05:15 AM CST

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the recent focus of some of the fiercest fighting in Russia’s war, his office said.

The eastern city is the scene of a “fierce battle” between Ukrainian defenders and Russian invading forces, Kyiv’s presidential office said on Tuesday.

The office said Zelensky met and spoke with military officials.

Earlier this month, Zelensky said Russia’s efforts to conquer Bakhmut had turned the eastern Ukraine city into ruins.

“Occupation forces actually destroyed Bakhmut, another city in Donbass that was burned by Russian forces,” he said.

Bakhmut remained in Ukrainian hands during the nearly ten-month war, thwarting Moscow’s goal of capturing the Donetsk province, part of the Donbas region bordering Russia.

Taking Bakhmut cuts Ukrainian supply lines and opens the way for Russian forces to advance towards Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the main Ukrainian strongholds in the province. Since 2014, pro-Moscow separatists have controlled Donetsk and parts of neighboring Luhansk.

Bakhmut is reportedly spearheaded by mercenaries from the Wagner Group, a Russian shadow military corporation.