The Russian defense minister has visited troops near the frontline in the partly occupied Zaporizhzhia territory in southern Ukraine, according to a statement released by the Russian defense ministry on Friday.
The Zaporizhzhia region, about half of which is occupied by Russian troops, is considered a likely focal point of Ukraine’s looming counter-offensive.
Russia’s defense ministry said its top official, Sergei K. Shoigu, inspected a forward command post in the Zaporizhzhia area where he was briefed on the “current situation” and “combat duties performed by Russian forces”. A video accompanying the statement on the Telegram messaging app showed Mr. Shoigu walking through a maze of concrete underground passages, meeting commanders and pinning a medal on a soldier.
The ministry did not specify exactly when or where the visit took place. As in March, when the ministry said he visited the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, the details of Mr Shoigu’s trip could not be independently verified.
It comes as Ukrainian officials have said preparations for their counter-offensive are in the final stages, and amid growing signs of campaign concern among Russian pro-war military bloggers. In recent weeks, Russian occupation authorities have issued “mandatory” evacuation orders in more than a dozen towns and villages in the Zaporizhzhia region, citing heavy fighting.
Some of the deadliest fighting in recent months has involved Russian attempts to take the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. As Ukrainian forces advanced to the north and south of the city over the past week, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner private military company that led much of the attack in Bakhmut, claimed that Ukraine’s counter-offensive had already was “in full swing”. full swing.”
Mr Prigozhin, known for his outspoken and often egotistical comments, said last week that Ukrainian forces planned to attack Wagner’s forces in and around Bakhmut first and then target Zaporizhzhia.
In its statement on Friday, Russia’s defense ministry said Mr Shoigu had ordered commanders to “conduct extensive reconnaissance” to “discover in advance Ukraine’s plans and prevent their execution”.