KHARKIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday made an unexpected visit to troops defending Bakhmut, currently the site of some of the bloodiest fighting in the war, as his forces try to hold off a desperate Russian assault on the city in the eastern Donetsk region.While in the area of combat, Zelensky thanked the Ukrainian soldiers for the courage, resilience and strength they demonstrate by repelling enemy attacks.”A video released by a state-run media outlet showed Zelensky, wearing an army green winter jacket, standing by a table with 17 medals on display, then heartily shaking hands with soldiers as he handed out each award.Ukrainian officials have sought to draw a contrast between Zelensky’s willingness to visit his troops on front-line positions or in recently liberated cities, such as Kherson, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s apparent lack of trips to the front lines, where critics say Russia has deployed thousands of conscripts, many without proper equipment or training.Speculation has mounted that Ukraine may try to launch a southward offensive through the Zaporizhzhia region, aiming to cut off the Russian-controlled “land bridge” between mainland Russia and Crimea, which was invaded and illegally annexed in 2014.Russia’s Gamble: The Post examined the road to war in Ukraine, and Western efforts to unite to thwart the Kremlin’s plans, through extensive interviews with more than three dozen senior U.S., Ukrainian, European and NATO officials."