Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu paid a rare visit to Russia's forces deployed in Ukraine, the country's defence ministry said on Saturday.
Russia's top military chiefs have visited the front lines in Ukraine only sparingly since tens of thousands of Russian forces invaded the neighbouring country a year ago in what Moscow calls a "special military operation".
"The Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, inspected the forward command post of one of the formations of the Eastern Military District in the South Donetsk direction," his ministry said in a statement published on messaging app Telegram.
In a video released by the ministry, Shoigu is seen awarding medals to Russian military personnel and touring a ruined town with the district's commander, Colonel-General Rustam Muradov.
Shoigu, who has served as defence minister since 2012, has received harsh criticism from pro-war advocates for his performance in the conflict.
Wagner Group mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin last month, whose militia has played a significant role in Russia's war effort in Ukraine, accused Shoigu and others last month of "treason" for withholding supplies of munitions to his militia.
Australia on Thursday passed into law a social media ban for children aged under 16 after an emotive debate that gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech.
Israeli military strikes killed at least 17 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, medics said, as forces stepped up bombardments on central areas and pushed tanks deeper in the north and south of the enclave.
Israeli tank fire hit six areas in southern Lebanon on Thursday and the Israeli military said its ceasefire with Hezbollah was breached after what it called suspects, some in vehicles, arrived at several areas in the southern zone.
Indonesian rescuers are searching for passengers trapped in a minibus buried in mud after flash floods and landslides hit several locations in North Sumatra province, killing at least 27, an official said on Thursday.
Syrian armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an attack on regime forces in the last opposition enclave in northern Syria on Wednesday, seizing territory in the first such advance in years, army and rebel sources said.
Broadcasting every weekday, Georgia Tolley goes beyond the headlines to speak to government ministers, decision makers, analysts and local experts to find out how the news will impact those of us living in the UAE.
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