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On April 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin came to the Kherson region and the Luhansk People’s Republic, where he visited the headquarters of the Russian ‘Dnepr’ and ‘Vostok’ (East) groups od troops. This was his first trip to these regions.
Putin’s trips and meetings at the headquarters were not prepared in advance.
According to the press service of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin listened to the reports of the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky, commander of the Dnepr group of troops Colonel-General Oleg Makarevich and other military leadership in the Kherson region. The President asked the military to express their opinion on the situation in the Kherson and Zaporozhye directions and exchange information.
“I know that on behalf of the Chief of the General Staff and the Minister of Defense, Teplinsky was on the front line for a long time, he made a very thorough report, the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff highly appreciated it,” Putin said.
After the meeting in the Kherson region, the Russian President went to the LPR on board of a helicopter. He visited the headquarters of the “Vostok” grouping of the National Guard in the Luhansk People’s Republic, where he listened to the reports of Colonel-General Alexander Lapin and other high-ranking officers on the situation in this area.
Putin congratulated the servicemen on Easter and gave them copies of icon which belonged to “one of the most successful defense ministers of the Russian Empire.” The Holy Image of the Saviour Not Made by Hands was depicted on the banners of the Russian army, and it was placed above the gates of fortresses. Putin proposed the military commanders to take the icons to the troops.
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In mid-March, the Russian President also visited the city of Mariupol, where he talked with Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin on the restoration of the city. The head of state also met with residents of Mariupol.
Putin also held a meeting with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, and other military officials at the headquarters of a special military operation in Rostov-on-Don.
Putin’s personal visits of the regions which have recently became part of the Russian Federation are always important PR campaigns aimed to demonstrate that the Russian military is securing the regions and peace is returning there. On the other hand, they show that the head of state personally controls the situation. The recent visits to the military headquarters are likely dedicated to the upcoming Ukrainian counter offensive.
What kind of path does a polititian take he did surely not fly with a helicopter from the kremlin to kherson. Did he use a plane from moskov to crimea and then a helicopter to cherson?
Dangerous question to ask.
I think he rode his combat bear in.
And Zeleshitsky (or his double) supposedly was near Avdiivka, and Russians again didn’t target him for some idiotic reason (not to offend their “western partners” I guess)
You can expect the russians to not kill ze but you can not suspect ukrainians to not kill putin if they get the chance.
Peskov: Putin visited the LPR and the Kherson region yesterday (video)
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin visited military headquarters in the Kherson region and the Luhansk People’s Republic yesterday, April 17. The Kremlin representative noted that it is important for the president to visit new regions and conduct inspections of headquarters. Dmitry Peskov explained Mr. Putin’s mention of Easter in the video by saying that according to Orthodox tradition, it is celebrated for forty days.
“It was yesterday. Indeed, when the president presented the icon, he said that Easter is with us, but the fact is that Easter is 40 days away. And now it’s even more Easter Week. Therefore, they just mistakenly seized on this phrase and immediately began to make hypotheses of what was not there. This trip took place yesterday,” Mr. Peskov said during a press call.
He added that a trip to the troops is a routine job of the Supreme Commander. “As for the state of the troops, this is the prerogative of the Ministry of Defense. We have no right to give any information here,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
This morning, the Kremlin’s press service reported that Vladimir Putin visited the headquarters of the Dnepr group of troops in the Kherson direction. He then went to the Luhansk People’s Republic. There, the head of the country visited the headquarters of the National Guard “Vostok” and heard reports from Colonel-General Alexander Lapin and other officers about the situation. This was the first trip of the president to the LPR and the Kherson region.
During a visit to the Dnipro headquarters, the head of state congratulated the military on Easter and presented them with a copy of the icon, which, according to him, belonged to one of the most successful defense ministers of the Russian Empire.