Putin makes a surprise visit to Kherson and Lugansk to assess the situation with senior military officials

President of Russia Vladimir Putinhe visited this Tuesday out of the blue Kherson and Luhansk regionsin eastern Ukraine and currently under Russian occupation, to speak with their military leaders and find out the status of the offensive.

As confirmed by the state agency Tass, and reported by Europa Press, Putin traveled to the area to “hear a report on the situation from the commander of the Air Force, Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinski, the commander of the Dnieper troop group, Colonel-General Oleg Makarevich and other military leaders”.

According to the Russian press service, the president addressed the commanders to confirm that he did not want to “distract them from their direct duties” but that “it is important for him to hear your opinion on how the situation is developing, listen to you and exchange information.” .

Putin he would ask for information about the situation in Kherson and Zaporozhyein addition to congratulating the soldiers on the recent Orthodox Easter, the aforementioned agency states.

Later, the president moved to Lugansk to maintain contacts with the Vostok National Guard army, visiting their barracks, where he received information from Lieutenant General Alexander Lapin and other senior officials, according to Europa Press.

is Putin’s first visit to Kherson or Luhansk, after visiting – also unexpectedly – the city of Mariúpol and the Crimean peninsula in March. Donetsk and Luhansk have been the epicenter of the conflict since 2014, which spread across the country after Putin ordered a military offensive in Ukraine.

In September, Putin announced the annexation of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye, all of which were partially occupied as part of the invasion, a decision confirmed by the Russian parliament in early October. The announcement followed a series of referendums criticized by the international community for lacking guarantees.