In a rare journey outside of Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paid a visit to the war-torn southern city of Mykolaiv on Saturday for the first time since the Russian invasion.
He also paid a visit to troops on the war’s southern frontline with Russia. A video showed Zelensky looking at a heavily damaged high-rise residential building in the city and holding a meeting with local officials was released by his office.
His visit comes a day after two people were murdered and 20 others were injured in the city by a Russian strike.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, Mykolaiv has been a target for Russian soldiers.
Local governor Vitaliy Kim showed Zelensky damage to a housing complex in the video. The insides of apartments were visible through some kind of large hole in the lofty building.
One of the damaged panes revealed a blue and yellow Ukrainian trident. Later, he paid visits to troops on the southern frontlines in Mykolaiv and the neighboring Odesa region, according to his office.
“It’s crucial that you’re still living. “A robust Ukrainian wall defends our country as long as you live,” Zelensky told soldiers in the Odesa region.
