Russian President Putin Makes First Visit to Lugansk People's Republic and Kherson Region

Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first-ever visit to Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) on Tuesday, where he visited the National Guard headquarters 'East'. The Kremlin press office reported that during his visit, Putin received reports from Colonel General Alexander Lapin and other top officers on the situation in the region. The visit also included congratulating the servicemen on the occasion of Easter, as he had done earlier during his visit to the headquarters of the 'Dnepr' battlegroup in the Kherson Region.

After arriving at the LPR by helicopter, Putin drove to the headquarters in an SUV, where he was greeted by Lapin. Putin shook Lapin's hand and greeted the rest of the participants before sitting down with them for discussions. The footage from the visit also shows Putin and Lapin having a conversation on their feet while leaving the headquarters, surrounded by other officers.

During the visit, Putin presented the servicemen with a copy of an icon and wore a strict suit with a black turtleneck. This visit marks Putin's first visit to the Kherson Region and the LPR, following his visit to Mariupol on March 19, where he also visited Rostov-on-Don and received reports from military commanders in the special military operation headquarters.

The visit is expected to be of significance, as the relations between Russia and Ukraine have been strained due to the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine. The visit also comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West, with Western countries imposing sanctions on Russia for its actions in Ukraine and alleged involvement in cyberattacks and election interference.