President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Ukrainian troops near the frontline city of Bakhmut on Wednesday and handed out medals, his office said.

"I am honoured to be here today to give awards to our heroes. To shake hands and thank them for protecting the sovereignty of our country," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app under video footage showing him handing out the awards.

(Reporting by Max Hunder, Editing by Timothy Heritage)