Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskyy visits Bakhmut, awards troops at frontline

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the frontline city of Bakhmut, where the fighting has taken place. Zelenskyy surprised the Ukrainian forces fighting at the frontlines, awarding them with medals to commend their efforts.

Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Bakhmut on Tuesday, and footage released by his office showed the Ukrainian leader commending the troops fighting at the frontline territory. Zelenskyy awarded the troops with medals inside an industrial complex in the eastern Ukrainian territory of Donbas.

Zelenskyy encouraged the troops to keep morale high as the fighting for Bakhmut was in its fifth month and would put significant strain on both sides. Zelenskyy told the troops to motivate each other, especially those “who might be weaker.”

Ukrainian forces have held their ground on Bakhmut, a territory that Russia may use as a stepping stone to advance toward other cities should they succeed.

“The East is holding out because Bakhmut is fighting,” Zelenskyy wrote in a message accompanying the video of his visit on the Telegram messaging platform. “In fierce battles and at the cost of many lives, freedom is being defended here for all of us.”

“Bakhmut defenders deserve our maximum support and our highest gratitude. That’s why I am with them today,” added Zelenskyy in the message. “They are superhumans. They are our strength and our heroes.”

Also, on Tuesday, Punchbowl News reported that Zelenskyy is set to make his first in-person overseas engagement since Russia invaded Ukraine back in February. Zelenskyy is expected to travel to the United States on Wednesday and will be visiting the US Capitol, according to nine sources familiar with the matter.

Zelenskyy is expected to meet with congressional leaders and national security heads from both Democratic and Republican Parties. The Ukrainian leader is also expected to address a joint session of Congress during his visit, for which Ukraine has bipartisan support.

This follows House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement in a letter of a special joint session of Congress on Wednesday night that will have a “very special focus on democracy”, although it did not further disclose what the special joint session would be about.