Selenskyj travels to the frontline town of Pokrovsk

He awarded several soldiers with medals. "It is only thanks to your strength that the east is not completely occupied by the Russian Federation," said Selensky in the video published with the post.

The front line between Ukrainian and Russian troops runs just under eight kilometers south-east of the mining town, which had around 60,000 inhabitants before the war. In February, Russian troops captured the town of Avdiivka near Donetsk, which had long been defended by Ukraine, and have been slowly but steadily advancing towards Pokrovsk ever since.

Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for almost a thousand days.