Returning from Izium, recently liberated by Ukrainian armed forces, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was involved in a car accident, but was unhurt, just as his adversary Vladimir Putin was unscathed in a reported assassination attempt.
Zelenskyy appeared in very good spirits during his visit to Izium; the Ukrainians claim they have recaptured as much as 6,000 square kilometres from the retreating Russian army.
IMAGE: Zelenskyy in Izium in the Kharkiv region.
The Russian retreat from Kharkiv over the weekend is seen as major military setback for Putin's war. Photograph: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout/Reuters
IMAGE: Few remember that Zelenskyy was a comedian before he was elected president. During the war, he has become a powerful rallying figure for his people, with some commentators comparing him to Winston Churchill during World War II. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters
IMAGE: Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, briefs the president. Photograph: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout/Reuters
IMAGE: Zelenskyy has requested urgent military hardware from his supporters in the West.
Precision missiles supplied by the US and UK have been key to Ukraine's military successes. Photograph: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout/Reuters
IMAGE: The liberation of the Kharkiv region, an area that abuts Russia, is an important milestone in the war which will pass the seven month mark on September 24. Photograph: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout/Reuters
IMAGE: Zelenskyy sings the Ukrainian national anthem at a flag raising ceremony in Izium. Photograph: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout/Reuters
IMAGE: On Thursday, eight Russian missiles struck a dam on the Inhulets river flooding Kryvyi Rih, the city where Zelenskyy hails from. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters
IMAGE: Zelenskyy poses for a picture with the soldiers. Photograph: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout/Reuters
IMAGE: A Ukrainian soldier patrols Izium. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters
IMAGE: A Russian flag lies on the ground near a destroyed Russian tank in Izium. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters
IMAGE: Ukrainian soldiers patrol Izium. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters
IMAGE: Ukrainian soldiers on a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle survey the area in Izium. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
