The Ukrainian President made a surprise trip to the south of the country, near Kherson, a region occupied by Russians. As a port and industrial city, Mykolayiv is of strategic importance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose trips outside of the capital Kyiv have been infrequent since the Russian invasion began, paid the first visit to the town of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine this Saturday.
A video released by the Ukrainian Presidency shows him inspecting a badly damaged apartment building and holding a meeting with local officials.
Mykolaiv, a pre-war port and industrial city of nearly half a million people, is still under Ukrainian control but is close to the Russian-held Kherson region. It remains a Moscow destination because it is on the way to Odessa, Ukraine’s largest port, 130 km to the south-west.
The visit comes a day after a Russian attack in the city killed two and wounded 20.
Excellent local guides
In the video, local governor Vitaliy Kim Volodymyr Zelenskyy shows the damage to a residential building. The large building shows a gaping hole through which the interior of the apartments can be seen. A blue and yellow Ukrainian trident can be seen on one of the broken windows.
Volodymyr Zelensky also attended a meeting with local officials in an underground cellar, where he presented awards for bravery.
His office said they “discussed the state of the economy, the restoration of the water supply and the agricultural situation.” “Particular attention was paid to land and sea threats. We work tirelessly for victory,” the statement said.