Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kharkiv, where he met with troops defending this key city in northeastern Ukraine.

This is Zelensky’s first visit outside the Ukrainian capital since Russian forces began occupying his country on February 24.

The Ukrainian president’s office reported on May 29 that Zelensky met with soldiers in positions on the front lines and also held a meeting with local officials, including Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, regional administrator Oleh Synegubov, and members and military commanders.

“You are risking your life for all of us and for our country,” Zelensky was quoted as saying.

Zelensky’s visit to Kharkiv comes as Ukraine’s State Emergency Service says Russian shelling has caused fires around Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city. Russia continued to bomb Kharkiv after Ukrainian troops pushed those Russians back from positions near the city a few weeks after the start of the occupation.

The Ukrainian presidency said Synegubov told Zelensky that Ukrainian forces had made progress in their counterattacks against the recent Russian offensive.

“But we are not able to fully inspect some of the settlements liberated as the shelling continues. “We are also not able to carry out detailed inspections and start repairing critical infrastructure,” the regional administrator, Synegubov, was quoted as saying.

He added that Russian forces had damaged 2,229 high-rise buildings in the region, 225 of which were completely destroyed. He also said that the northern and eastern counties of Kharkiv have suffered the most damage, with over 30 per cent of the buildings destroyed.

These figures could not be verified independently.