Putin visits occupied Kherson region, says Kremlin

According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited occupied areas of Ukraine’s Kherson region, attending a military command meeting and hearing reports from military commanders. He is also believed to have visited the Luhansk region. Although such visits by the Russian leader are rare, he made a surprise visit to the city of Mariupol in March. 

Russia annexed both Kherson and Luhansk last year. The exact date of Putin’s trip to Kherson is unknown, but Russian media reports state that he enquired about the situation in the Zaporizhzhia region, which Moscow has also claimed as part of Russia. 

While addressing the military meeting in Kherson, Putin stated that although he did not want to distract them from their duties, “it is important for me to hear your opinion on how the situation is developing, to listen to you, to exchange information”. Russian troops retreated from the city of Kherson late last year, losing the only regional capital it had captured since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. However, some parts of the region remain under Russian control.