Zelensky visits Ukraine frontline troops

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday visited frontline troops near Lyman, an embattled town in eastern Ukraine, where they have launched a counter-offensive against Russian forces and said he had discussed their battles.

"Today, I met here with the warriors carrying out missions in the Lyman sector and presented them with state awards. I also spoke with the brigade commander about the missions the unit is carrying out," Zelensky said on social media, posting a video of him at a command post.

The Ukrainian leader has frequently visited frontline areas since Russia invaded in February 2022.

He said Ukrainian troops had recaptured territory around Lyman -- part of a counter-offensive dubbed "Operation Vivaldi".

Both armies remain largely bogged down along the sprawling front-line, which is now characterised by a "kill zone" either side, where explosive-packed drones lurk in the skies to detect movement before crashing down onto targets below.

Rare territorial gains for either side have come at a huge human loss.

Moscow is fighting to capture the whole of the eastern Donetsk region, which it claims as its own.

It has targeted a series of heavily fortified frontline towns, including Kramatorsk and Sloviansk -- much of which have been flattened by years of aerial bombings.