Volodymyr Zelensky visits Robotyn, a village symbol of Ukrainian resistance in the south: “It’s an honor to be here”

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyannounced on Sunday that he had met with troops in the city robotinesouth of the front line, which Kiev was recaptured from Russian forces last summer.But which is once again under intense attack.

In August last year, Kiev recaptured this small town in the southern region ZaporozhyeWhich he considered a major success of the counter-offensive against the Russian forces.

Since then, robotine It has been continuously attacked by Russian troops and is one of the main hot spots on the southern front.

“Zaporizhzhya region. Robotine. Location of 65th Mechanized Brigade. I spoke to the defenders, thanked them and presented them with state awardsZelensky said on social media. “It’s an honor to be here today.”,

“Support the warriors and reward them. On your shoulders lies a difficult and decisive mission: to repel the enemy and defend Ukraine. We are proud of our soldiers, thank you all!”

A video posted on Facebook shows The president in uniform was meeting with soldiers in a dark room that resembled an underground warehouse.

The 65th Brigade had led the attack on the village last year.

Although the recapture of Roboutin was seen as a success for Kiev’s counteroffensive, Ukraine’s efforts to regain territory lost to Moscow have slowed.

Ukraine recaptured the village from Russian forces last summer, but it has now come under heavy attack by Moscow forces.

On another front, the Ukrainian Navy said today that, in connection with the beginning of the Russian offensive, the activities ofThe Russian Black Sea Fleet has “been greatly complicated or even paralyzed.”

Navy spokesman, Captain Dmytro Pletenchuk, announced on public television this Sunday that, Of the approximately 80 Russian ships deployed in the Black Sea at the beginning of the invasion, approximately 25 have been destroyed and 15 are undergoing repair.

Of the original 80, between 30 and 35 are “large battleships that pose a real threat with their extended range”.He indicated.

However, repeated Ukrainian attacks against Russian bases in the Black Sea, particularly against the Moscow fleet’s main base at Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula, are crippling Russian naval capabilities.

“The Black Sea Fleet has been (in a bad state) for a long time: apart from missile ships with Kalibr (type cruise missiles), they have nothing they could use against Ukraine,” Platenchuk said. The latter is made difficult due to the high risk of docking at Sebastopol.

In this sense, the Ukrainian Navy reported this morning through its social networks that at 8:00 am local time (06:00 GMT) one enemy ship was in the Black Sea, as well as another ship in the Sea of ​​Azov. ,

The Navy said two enemy ships were in the Mediterranean at the time, one of them a missile carrier loaded with eight Kalibr-type projectiles.

(With information from AFP and EFE)