On Dec. 20, the day before he flew to Washington for his Hollywood production at the U.S. Congress, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly made a visit to Bakhmut/Artyomovsk, the scene of the heaviest fighting on the Donbass front. It was not clear how Zelenskyyy got to Bakhmut, but his unannounced trip to the combat zone appeared designed to shore up the morale of Ukrainians and to dishearten the Russians trying to encircle the city, reported The Associated Press.The President saluted people’s “courage, resilience and strength shown in repelling the enemy attacks.”
“Bakhmut Fortress. Our people. Unconquered by the enemy. Who with their bravery prove that we will endure and will not give up what’s ours,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
But there are serious doubts as to whether Zelenskyy even came near the combat zone, never mind actually walking through Bakhmut. “The video provided by the enemy looks extremely unconvincing—similar industrial ruins can be found anywhere on the territory of the conflict,” commented the Slavyangrad Telegram channel. “On top of that, let’s not forget that the media sphere has been and remains one of the most important fronts for Ukraine, and the best Western experts are actively assisting in this.”
