The ISW explained why Putin visited the occupied Kherson and Luhansk regions

American analysts believe that the Kremlin deliberately published a visit to the Russian president's visit to the occupied territories to "overshadow" Zelensky's visit to Avdiivka. Russian President Vladimir Putin respects wartime leader, visiting the occupied Kherson and Luhansk regions on the eve of the Armed Forces. This is stated in the report of the Institute of War Study (ISW) of April 18.

The publication states that the Russian president probably visited the headquarters of the Russian group of troops "Dnipro" in the Kherson region and the headquarters of the National Guard "East" in the occupied Luhansk region until April 16. At the same time, the Kremlin says that the visit took place on April 17.

"President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky visited the front line in Avdiivka on April 18, and it is possible that the Kremlin deliberately published Putin's visit to exceed Zelensky's visit in the information space," analysts suggested. Experts also believe that Putin's trip was made in order to mark potential pupils before the future counter-offensive of the Ukrainian army.

"Probably, Putin deliberately distinguished Teplinsky and Makarevich as commanders responsible for the south of Ukraine, and Lapina - as a commander responsible for the Lugansk direction," the authors of the publication say. In addition, American analysts believe that demonstrative meetings of the Russian president with high -ranking officers can speak about future changes in the military command of the Russian Federation, as well as in the Kremlin's immediate environment.

We will remind that on April 18, Vladimir Putin visited the headquarters of the Dnipro troops in the Kherson direction, where he heard the reports of the commander of the group of Colonel-General Oleg Makarevich and the commander of the Air Force Commander of the Russian Federation General Mikhail Teplinsky.