Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the newly recaptured city of Izyum on Wednesday, an appearance that underlined the stunning success of a counteroffensive against Russian forces in the country’s northeast.
The unannounced visit appeared to belie claims from Moscow that parts of Izyum, which had been a critical staging post for Russian weapons and troops fighting in the eastern Donbas region, remained under Russian control. Zelenskyy took part in a ceremony to raise the Ukrainian flag, according to a statement on his website.
“Perhaps one can temporarily seize the territories of our state,” Zelenskyy said during the event. “But one definitely cannot occupy our people, the Ukrainian people.”
