President of Ukraine made a surprise visit to Bakhmut, the industrial Ukrainian city which has been the epicenter of fighting for months.

“I am honored to be here today to award our heroes. To shake hands and thank them for protecting the sovereignty of our country”, - wrote Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram.

He also shared a video of his visit to the Ukrainian positions, in which he is shown addressing soldiers and awarding medals.

“Glory to each and every one who is now fighting for Ukraine! May the memory of all those who sacrificed their lives for our independence be blessed”, - the Ukrainian leader added.

Bakhmut is a large transport and logistics hub in Ukraine’s Donetsk, part of the largely Russian-speaking industrialized Donbas region. Evgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner paramilitary group, claimed earlier this month that the city had almost been encircled.​​​​​​​