Leader visits troops near Zaporizhzhia

President Volodymyr Zelensky visited troops near Ukraine's southeastern front on Thursday, warning of the need to shore up the lines after losing ground in increasingly high-intensity battles far from Russia's main offensive in the east.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a meeting at a front line in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine on Thursday.

(REUTERS)

Mr Zelensky, whose government is reeling from a corruption scandal, said the situation near the village of Orikhiv was “one of the most difficult” ona sprawling front and that thwarting Russian forces there was key to shielding the city of Zaporizhzhia.

“{Zaporizhzhia] is an important city, the enemy certainly wants it. We certainly have to defend it,’ he said, awarding medals to troops and discussing ways to strengthen the lines.

Neither side has made major breakthroughs on the battlefield since the first year of Russia's 2022 invasion. But Moscow’s forces, which control 19% of Ukraine, have been on the offensive since late 2023 and have gradually edged forward.

‘As Russian forces close in on capturing the city of Pokrovsk in the east and bear down on Kupiansk to the northeast, mounting pressure in the southeast is a new worry for Ukraine and its allies.