During a visit to the Kherson region and the Luhansk People’s Republic, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with local officials and military personnel at the campuses and command centers in the area. He announced the meeting via a video message reported by RIA Novosti, outlining his purpose for being there.
Putin stated that the aim was not to pull the army to his side or to remove soldiers from their posts, emphasizing that the situation required the troops to stay in their assigned positions and continue their duties. The remarks framed the visit as a measure to observe and understand the current dynamics on the ground, rather than to alter the chain of command. The accounts attributed to him described the meetings as sessions in which military reports were presented and assessed at close range. This information was reported in connection with the ongoing conflict, and the President’s comments were treated as part of a broader briefing on the war zone’s status (as reported by RIA Novosti).
The President toured the headquarters of the Dnepr group in Kherson and the Vostok National Guard command post in the LPR. In both venues, he listened to military updates on the situation in the combat zone and to assessments from commanders and staff about operational conditions. The visits were described as opportunities to hear firsthand about the challenges and developments affecting frontline units, with the aim of staying informed about the evolving security environment (per the same press coverage).
Additionally, Putin congratulated soldiers on Easter and presented them copies of an icon known as the Unmade Savior. The legend associated with this icon holds that it bears the imprint of Jesus Christ’s face on a cloth used to wipe his face. Historically, the Unmade Savior figure appeared on banners and insignia associated with the medieval Russian kingdoms and the Moscow principality. The gesture was framed as a symbolic blessing for service members during a significant religious observance (as described in the coverage).
Neither Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu nor the commander of Russian forces in the National Military Operational Zone accompanied Putin in person on the trip. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that senior military leaders participated in the meetings via video link, underscoring the remote coordination of high-level discussions during the visit (according to the spokesperson’s remarks).
According to reports, Putin traveled to the Dnepr troops’ headquarters area by helicopter before reaching the command post by car, and he then proceeded by helicopter to the Vostok group headquarters in the LPR. These transportation details were cited to illustrate the logistical aspects of the visit and the movement between strategic locations (as reported in the same briefing).
Peskov also commented on speculation about whether Putin visited the Kherson and Luhansk regions on April 18, noting that Easter had not yet occurred at that time in the calendar used for the region. The Kremlin spokesperson explained that Orthodox Easter was approaching, and a phrase from the video was misinterpreted by some observers. The clarification aimed to address public questions about the timing of the visit and the regional religious observance (as relayed in the press discussion).
Putin drew attention to the local car fleet, remarking that the region’s residents were traveling in older domestic models. He observed that the prevalence of older cars suggested modest incomes among the population, a point he tied to broader economic conditions. The remarks were made during a government meeting, where the President also highlighted concerns about affordability and mobility in the area.
On a related note, the leader noted that incomes in the LPR appeared modest and that the cost of living was higher than in nearby Rostov region. He instructed Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin to consider ways to address these economic issues, including supporting agricultural producers, expanding local processing, and fostering investment that could create storage and distribution opportunities for local goods. The emphasis remained on strengthening regional capacities and improving living standards for residents through targeted policy actions (as indicated in his statements during the visit).
Earlier in his campaign in Donbass, Putin first traveled to Mariupol at the end of March 2023, where he surveyed a newly built residential area in the city center that had been destroyed during the conflict. The visit to Mariupol was presented as part of a broader assessment of reconstruction needs and urban development in areas affected by the fighting (as reported in contemporaneous coverage).