President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Ukrainian troops on the southeastern front and presented them with medals, his office said on Sunday, amid intense speculation that popular “Iron General” Valery Zaluzhny could soon be fired, Reuters and AFP reported.

“It is a great honor for me to be here today. Let’s support the warriors and reward them. A difficult and responsible mission awaits them to repulse the enemy and protect Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in a statement after visiting the Zaporizhzhia region.

The President of Ukraine posted a video on Facebook in which he is in uniform going to a meeting with soldiers in a dark room that looks like a basement.

The President’s Office reported that Zelensky visited the advanced positions of the Ukrainian army near the village of Robotyne, which is located near the front line.

Robotin was recaptured from Russian forces last August after an assault led by the 65th Brigade, which Kyiv called a major success in the counteroffensive against Russian forces. But since then, the small village has been constantly attacked by Russian troops and is one of the main hotspots on the southern front.

The tense background of Zelenskyi’s visit to the front

The president’s visit to the front line came at a time of uncertainty regarding the fate of Army Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny.

Ukraine’s government has informed the White House of plans to fire the commander-in-chief of the army overseeing the war against Russian occupation forces, two sources said on Friday.

The anticipated move to remove Zaluzhny, who has clashed with Zelenskyi on a number of issues, comes after a Ukrainian counter-offensive last year failed to retake much of the territory captured by Russia.

Known as the “Iron General”, Zaluzhny is extremely popular. His removal could affect the morale of Ukrainian troops trying to hold positions on a front more than 1,000 km long against the Russian army, which has large stockpiles of ammunition, Reuters also noted.