Putin on surprise visit to Russia-held Ukrain’s Kherson, Luhansk regions
Moscow, Apr 18 (EFE).- President Vladimir Putin visited the military headquarters in Kherson and Luhansk regions during a previously unannounced trip to Russia-held Ukrainian territory, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
The Russian president attended a military command meeting in the southern Kherson region and visited the national guard headquarters in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine.
The visit was to know about the situation on the southern and eastern fronts.
“During the visits, (Putin) heard reports from military commanders on the situation in the Kherson, Zaporozhye, and Luhansk regions,” the Kremlin said in a brief statement published on its website.
“President Putin’s visits to the Kherson region and the Luhansk People’s Republic, as well as meetings at the headquarters of the ‘Dnepr’ and ‘East’ were not prepared in advance,” the press service reported.
It was Putin’s first visit to the Kherson region and the Luhansk in the last 14 months after Russia invaded Ukraine. Previously, he visited Mariupol on Mar.19.
He also visited Rostov-on-Don, where he had a meeting and received reports from military commanders fighting the war.
According to the Kremlin, at the headquarters of the Dnieper group, the Russian president listened to the reports of the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel General Mikhail Teplinski, Colonel General Oleg Makarevich, and other military leaders.
“I don’t want to distract them from duties directly related to command and control, so we are working here in a professional, brief but concrete manner,” Putin said.
“It is important for me to listen to their opinion on how the situation is developing, to listen to them, to exchange information.”
The president asked the military commanders to inform him “about the situation in Kherson and Zaporizhia.” EFE
mos-ssk
