Ukrainian president pays unexpected visit to city in embattled eastern Donetsk region

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday paid an unexpected visit to a city in the embattled eastern Donetsk region.

The visit to the city of Bakhmut was confirmed by Serhii Nykyforov, the Ukrainian presidential press secretary, to public broadcaster Suspilne, saying: “He visited frontline positions and gave out military awards and gifts."

Later, Ukrainian news channel Freedom shared a video of Zelenskyy handing out awards to soldiers in the city.

No further information was given on the unexpected visit.

Zelenskyy said in an address late Monday that Bakhmut is the hottest spot in the entire front line between Kyiv and Moscow.​​​​​​​

Donetsk is part of a region that has been ridden with conflict against Russian-backed separatists since 2014. This September, Russia said it was annexing the region, a move rejected by most of the international community.