Putin Pays Surprise Visit to Russian-Held Kherson, Luhansk: Kremlin

A road sign reading "Kherson" in the town of Armyansk in the north of the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula bordering the Russian-controlled Kherson region in southern Ukraine on Oct. 19, 2022. Stringer/AFP via Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an unannounced visit to the Russian-controlled regions of Kherson and Luhansk in Ukraine, where he met with top field commanders, the Kremlin said on April 18.

In a statement, the Kremlin said Putin had “visited the headquarters of the Dnipro Group of Forces in the Kherson sector and the Vostok National Guard headquarters in the [Moscow-recognized] Luhansk People’s Republic.”