Putin pays a visit to the hospital treating injured Russian soldiers.
In a rare face-to-face encounter with regular soldiers, Putin visited Russian soldiers who had been hurt in Ukraine on “Russia Day” at the Central Vishnevsky Military Clinic outside of Moscow.
The Kremlin broadcast pictures of Putin, who was dressed in a dark suit, and Sergei Shoigu, the defense minister, who was dressed in uniform.
A group of men in blue hospital scrubs, some of whom were in wheelchairs, were in front of the officials.
I congratulate you, the 70-year-old Russian leader remarked as he placed a medal on one of the men.
The soldier replied, shaking Putin’s hand, “I serve Russia.”
It appeared that there was tight security surrounding the gathering.
According to the TASS news agency, Putin awarded the “Hero” medal to the rifle platoon leader.
On “Russia Day,” a nationalistic public holiday, the Russian president paid a visit to the soldiers at the Central Vishnevsky Military Clinic outside of Moscow.
The Kremlin broadcast pictures of Putin, who was dressed in a dark suit, and Sergei Shoigu, the defense minister, who was dressed in uniform.
Putin has visited with the military personnel involved in the operation only sporadically in the more than a year since Moscow began its incursion in Ukraine.
He made an appearance with what the Kremlin claimed to be soldiers during his New Year’s Eve speech that signaled the end of 2022.
In May of last year, Russian president Vladimir Putin also had visited wounded soldiers.