May 29 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky visited Ukrainian troops in the northeastern Kharkiv region on Sunday, the president’s office said.
This is the leader’s first official appearance outside the Kyiv region since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
“You are risking your life for all of us and for our country,” he told the soldiers, according to the presidency’s website, which states that Volodimir Zelensky congratulated the soldiers and distributed gifts to them.
The president’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said via the Telegram application that the head of state had also visited Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city.
Volodimir Zelenskiy visited residential buildings destroyed by the fighting and stressed that future construction should include bomb shelters.
According to the chief of staff, 31% of the territory of the Kharkiv region is currently occupied by Russian forces, and 5% has been taken over by Ukrainian fighters after having been previously occupied. (Report Max Hunder; French version Elizabeth Pineau)