Zelenskiy visits troops near frontline city of Bakhmut

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy poses for a picture with Ukrainian service members at a position near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine March 22, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS

KYIV (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Ukrainian troops on Wednesday near the frontline city of Bakhmut, and handed out medals to soldiers he said were heroically defending their country's sovereignty.

Ukrainian forces have held out for about eight months in Bakhmut, despite taking heavy casualties in one of the bloodiest battles since Russia's full-scale invasion 13 months ago.