Zelenskiy visits front line as Russia says 28 people killed
Published: 04:02 PM,Feb 04,2024 | EDITED : 08:02 PM,Feb 04,2024
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits a front line, in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine. — Reuters
KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Ukrainian troops on the southeastern front, his office said on Sunday as Russia said on Sunday that Ukraine killed at least 28 people, including nine women and a child, when its armed forces struck a bakery and restaurant in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine with Western-supplied rockets
'It's an honour to be here today. To support the warriors and award them. They face a difficult and critical mission to repel the enemy and defend Ukraine,' Zelenskiy said in a statement after visiting Zaporizhzhia region.
The presidential office said in the statement that Zelenskiy visited the Ukrainian military's forward positions near the village of Robotyne, which is located almost on the battle line.
The southeastern settlement of Robotyne had been liberated in late August in the counteroffensive against Russian forces.
Meanwhile, Russian-backed officials said that Ukraine struck the bakery in the city of Lysychansk at about 1230 GMT on Saturday with U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
Emergency workers worked through the night searching for survivors in the rubble of what remained of the shattered Adriatic Restaurant on Moskovska Street, where Russian officials said a bakery had been set up for civilians.
'The armed forces of Ukraine opened fire on a bakery in Lysychansk,' said Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-installed head of the Luhansk region which is now controlled by Russian forces.
Pasechnik said the bakery was crowded with civilians when it was struck. Russia's emergency ministry said 10 people had been pulled from the rubble alive.
But the ministry said four more people were in an 'extremely grave condition' and that it was still searching for people.
Ukraine has not yet commented on the attack. Reuters was unable to immediately verify what weapons had been used in the attack.
Russia's foreign ministry condemned the Ukrainian attack, saying the West should think about why its financial support to Kyiv was being used to kill civilians.
'According to preliminary data, the strike was carried out using Western weapons,' Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Zelenskiy's visit to the battle lines came at a time of uncertainty over the fate of army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.
Two sources said on Friday that the Ukrainian government had informed the White House that it plans to fire the country's top military commander overseeing the war against Russian forces.
The alleged move to oust Zaluzhnyi, who has clashed with Zelenskiy over a range of issues, follows a Ukrainian counteroffensive last year that failed to recover significant amounts of Russian-held territory. — Reuters
'It's an honour to be here today. To support the warriors and award them. They face a difficult and critical mission to repel the enemy and defend Ukraine,' Zelenskiy said in a statement after visiting Zaporizhzhia region.
The presidential office said in the statement that Zelenskiy visited the Ukrainian military's forward positions near the village of Robotyne, which is located almost on the battle line.
The southeastern settlement of Robotyne had been liberated in late August in the counteroffensive against Russian forces.
Meanwhile, Russian-backed officials said that Ukraine struck the bakery in the city of Lysychansk at about 1230 GMT on Saturday with U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
Emergency workers worked through the night searching for survivors in the rubble of what remained of the shattered Adriatic Restaurant on Moskovska Street, where Russian officials said a bakery had been set up for civilians.
'The armed forces of Ukraine opened fire on a bakery in Lysychansk,' said Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-installed head of the Luhansk region which is now controlled by Russian forces.
Pasechnik said the bakery was crowded with civilians when it was struck. Russia's emergency ministry said 10 people had been pulled from the rubble alive.
But the ministry said four more people were in an 'extremely grave condition' and that it was still searching for people.
Ukraine has not yet commented on the attack. Reuters was unable to immediately verify what weapons had been used in the attack.
Russia's foreign ministry condemned the Ukrainian attack, saying the West should think about why its financial support to Kyiv was being used to kill civilians.
'According to preliminary data, the strike was carried out using Western weapons,' Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Zelenskiy's visit to the battle lines came at a time of uncertainty over the fate of army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.
Two sources said on Friday that the Ukrainian government had informed the White House that it plans to fire the country's top military commander overseeing the war against Russian forces.
The alleged move to oust Zaluzhnyi, who has clashed with Zelenskiy over a range of issues, follows a Ukrainian counteroffensive last year that failed to recover significant amounts of Russian-held territory. — Reuters