Vladimir Putin's next stop after Crimea? Occupied Mariupol
Russia-Ukraine War: Kremlin said, “Putin flew to Mariupol by helicopter, then driving a car drove around several districts of the city and making stops.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited occupied Mariupol, Russian state media reported. The Ukrainian city is located in the Donetsk region which has been occupied by Moscow forces since May 2022.
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"Putin flew to Mariupol by helicopter, then driving a car drove around several districts of the city and making stops. In the Nevsky microdistrict, Putin spoke with the townspeople. He also examined the coastline of Mariupol", Kremlin was quoted by TASS as saying.
Vladimir Putin also met with the top command of his military operation in Ukraine, state media further reported, as per news agency Reuters. The Russian leader met with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov who is in charge of Russia's invasion in Ukraine.
The meeting took place at the Rostov-on-Don command post in southern Russia, TASS news agency reported as per Reuters.
The Mariupol visit comes just a day after Vladimir Putin was in Crimea to mark the ninth anniversary of the peninsula's annexation, marking his first visit to the peninsula since Ukraine invasion. It was also his first public appearance after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
