Zelenskiy visits troops near Zaporizhzhia front as Russian pressure mounts

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy listens to a report of senior officers while he visits a command position of the 128th Zakarpattia Separate Mountain Assault Brigade at a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine November 13, 2025. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS

LONDON/KYIV (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited troops near Ukraine's southeastern front on Thursday, warning of the need to shore up the lines after losing ground in increasingly high-intensity battles far from Russia's main offensive in the east.

Zelenskiy, whose government is reeling from a corruption scandal, said the situation near the village of Orikhiv was "one of the most difficult" on a sprawling front and that thwarting Russian forces there was key to shielding the city of Zaporizhzhia.