Zelensky says visited Ukraine special forces near Bakhmut

KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he visited Ukraine's special forces in "advanced positions" near the hotspot of Bakhmut as Kyiv ramps up its counteroffensive.

"The Bakhmut direction, advanced positions of the Special Operations Forces," Zelensky said on messaging app Telegram.

"I am here to congratulate our warriors on their professional day, to honour their strength.

Zelensky said he was not at liberty to disclose details of the special forces' current operations, but stressed that its members recently helped recapture the village of Staromaiorske from Russian forces on the southern front.

"The guys inflict especially tangible blows on Russian terrorists," he added.

Since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022, 17 members of special operations forces were awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, 13 of them posthumously, Zelensky said.

Zelensky said he visited a number of eastern Ukrainian towns including Chasiv Yar, Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka.

In a separate statement, Zelensky's office said the president was informed about "intelligence networks" in Ukraine's occupied territories and other operations.

Ukraine last month began its highly anticipated fightback after stockpiling Western weapons and building up its offensive forces.

Kyiv has, however, admitted making slow progress and called on the United States and other allies to provide long-range weapons and artillery.

Ukrainian authorities have said Kyiv's troops are gradually moving forward near the eastern city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces seized in May.