The Kremlin said that Vladimir Putin visited the occupied areas in Ukraine which Russia illegally annexed last year.
The Russian President attended a meeting of the military command in Kherson and visited the national guard at Luhansk.
The dates of the visits are not known.
Putin’s visit to Ukraine to “listen to Russian troops” – Ukraine War latest updates
He was briefed by senior officers and commanders from the “Dnieper”, airborne force, and other army groups in Kherson.
Russian forces retreated last November from Kherson, the capital of the region, and have been strengthening their positions on opposite banks of the Dnipro River in anticipation of an Ukrainian counteroffensive.
While many Western leaders have visited Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russian forces invaded the country 14 months ago. President Putin, however, has seldom visited parts of Ukraine that are under Russian control.
He visited Mariupol and the Crimea region , where Russia is doing construction work after razing much of the city.
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The visit of President Putin comes as Russia’s New Year offensive continues with little success and Ukrainian forces are mounting a fierce defense of Bakhmut.
The commander of Ukraine’s ground forces revealed on Tuesday that Kremlin troops have increased their use of heavy air strikes and artillery in the city.
In the meantime, there has been a growing anticipation of a counteroffensive by Ukraine expected in spring.
Kyiv’s armed forces are expected to attempt to repeat the hugely successful offensives that liberated vast areas of land in Kharkiv last year.
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