President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the front-line town of Avdiyivka, which is surrounded on three sides by Russian troops, the president’s office reported on Tuesday, News.ro reports.

According to the press release, the Ukrainian leader listened to the report of the commander of the operational-tactical group in Donetsk and talked with the soldiers of the marines, amphibious assault, mechanized and artillery brigades.

“I am honored to be here today to thank you for your service, for protecting our country, Ukraine, and our families. Happy Easter, I wish only victory – this is what I wish to every Ukrainian, it is very important for all of us. I wish good health to all of you and your families, and I sincerely thank you on behalf of every Ukrainian for the great journey you take every day,” Zelenskyy addressed the military, the message reads.

The head of Ukraine presented combat awards and, in turn, received insignia of the 110th separate mechanized brigade.

The town of Adviivka has been the target of intense fighting for months and has been largely destroyed, although around 1,800 civilians remain in the town despite attempts to persuade them to leave. There are no safe exits from the city, but Ukrainian forces still control the routes to the west. The city comes under Russian artillery fire on an almost daily basis, but Ukrainian defenses have largely held up despite Russia’s modest advance northward, CNN notes.

___

• Follow the latest events of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HotNews.ro