Vladimir Putin makes rare trip to Ukraine frontline as he's helicoptered in for carefully staged visit to Kherson | The Sun
VLADIMIR Putin has appeared to limp during his latest surprise visit to Ukraine.
The 70-year-old Russian president was seen walking stiffly as he emerged from a helicopter in the Ukrainian city of Kherson.
He was also seen awkwardly getting out of an SUV before being greeted by the top brass at a military base in the east of the country.
Vlad seemed to limp as he walked towards his commanders while an aide was seen possibly carrying the infamous nuclear suitcase.
It isn't clear how recent the visit was, however, it is believed it took place several days ago ahead of the Orthodox Easter.
The visit was only announced today by the Kremlin, which released heavily-edited footage of Putin's trip.
He reportedly made an appearance at the "Dnipro headquarters" in Kherson before going to the HQ of the Vostok National Guard in Luhansk.
The Kherson region has seen a major buildup of Russian forces ahead of a rumoured Ukrainian counter-offensive in the east of the country.
British military intelligence said on Tuesday that heavy fighting had continued in eastern Ukraine, although Russia had been forced to reduce its troop numbers as part of the continued assault on Bakhmut.
The Kremlin said of the latest visit: "The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation visited the headquarters of the Dnipro grouping of troops in the Kherson direction and the headquarters of the Vostok National Guard in the Luhansk People's Republic."
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If true, the visit would have been the first by Putin to both the Luhansk and Kherson regions of Ukraine which are both claimed by Russia.
It comes a month after Putin's shock visit to Mariupol in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine – his first to the country since the start of his brutal invasion in February last year.
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