KYIV, April 19 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy inspected the frontier with Belarus and Poland on Wednesday, and thanked border guards for their defence of the country since Russia's invasion.
The president posted video footage on the Telegram messaging app that showed him meeting border guards in woodland with barbed-wire fencing beside a river in the Volyn region of northwestern Ukraine.
"It is an honour for me to be here today to thank our border guards for protecting the state border," Zelenskiy wrote under the footage, which also showed him addressing the border guards and handing out awards.
"For the protection of our state in Bakhmut. I know how firmly you stood there, holding Bakhmut," he said, referring to the eastern Ukrainian city where fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces has been intense for months.
[1/4]Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits the border with Belarus, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Volyn region, Ukraine April 19, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing Rights
Zelenskiy said after discussing border protection measures at a meeting in January that Ukraine must "be ready" at the frontier with Belarus even though Kyiv did not see "anything powerful" there apart from statements.
Russia used Belarus as a launchpad for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year, and President Vladimir Putin said last month that Russia would station tactical nuclear weapons on its close ally's territory.
In a separate post on Wednesday, Zelenskiy said he had discussed security and socio-economic issues with political and military leaders in the Volyn region.
Zelenskiy has travelled widely in recent weeks. On Tuesday he met troops in the eastern city of Avdiivka, where fighting has also been fierce as Ukraine prepares for an expected counteroffensive to try to win back Russian-occupied territory.
Reporting by Dan Peleschuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik is suing the state for allegedly violating his human rights due to his being held in "extreme" isolation, and has filed another application for parole, his lawyer said on Friday.
Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.
Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology.
The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs.
The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals.
Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile.
Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts.
Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks.
All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays.
© 2023 Reuters. All rights reserved