• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the war-torn southern city of Mykolaiv on Saturday.
• He met with local officials and inspected damage to a high-rise residential building.
• His visit occurs one day after a Russian strike in the city killed two and injured twenty.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a rare excursion outside of Kyiv to the war-ravaged southern city of Mykolaiv on Saturday for the first time since the Russian invasion.

The office of Zelensky released a video of him viewing a severely damaged high-rise residential building in the city and meeting with local officials.

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Russian military have targeted Mykolaiv since the beginning of their incursion on February 24.

Local governor Vitaliy Kim showed Zelensky damage to a residential building on the video.

The tall skyscraper had a gaping hole, exposing the unit interiors.

One of the damaged windows had a blue and yellow Ukrainian trident.

Zelensky reportedly participated in a meeting with local leaders in what appeared to be a cellar, where he handed out prizes for valour.

As per his office, they “discussed the state of the economy, the restoration of water supplies and the situation in agriculture.”

“Special attention was paid to threats from land and sea. We do not stop working for victory,” stated the statement.

Mykolaiv has been defending southern Ukraine, as it stands on the route to Odessa, a crucial strategic Black Sea port.

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In March, a Russian strike on the regional administrative building tore a hole through the complex’s core and killed more than a dozen people.

Since Moscow’s invasion, Zelensky has been based in Kyiv, making his first journey outside the capital to Kharkiv in late May.