Zelensky commends 'brave' soldiers on visit to frontline

The Ukrainian president made unannounced visits to several cities where there had been heavy fighting

- AISHA RIMI

Volodymyr Zelensky has praised Ukraine's "brave men and women" as he paid a visit to troops on the frontline of his country's war against Russia.

A video posted to the president's official Telegram account on Saturday showed him handing out medals and posing for pictures with troops in what appeared to be an underground shelter in the southern Mykolaiv region.

The president's office did not say when he made his latest trip to see troops.

"Our brave men and women. Each one of them is working flat out," Mr Zelensky said in the video. "We will definitely hold out! We will definitely win!"

In recent weeks, the Ukrainian president has made unannounced visits to the northeastern city of Kharkiv where there had previously been heavy fighting, and to two eastern cities close to where battles are being fought.

The president's office said Mr Zelensky also visited the regional capital Mykolaiv and inspected its destroyed administration building, where 37 people were killed in late March when a missile blasted through the building.

He also visited a hospital in Mykolaiv and awarded honours for bravery to Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych and governor Vitaliy Kim for their work during the four months of Russia's invasion, his office said in separate statements.