Vladimir Putin visits Russian-occupied Mariupol in Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin was flown into Mariupol by helicopter in what is thought to be his first trip to Ukrainian territory that Moscow annexed in September.

Russian State TV showed Mr Putin driving a car in the early hours of Sunday as he took a tour of the city that was destroyed by one of the most violent sieges of the war.

He visited several sites, was presented with a report on the reconstruction work of the city and appeared to speak with residents in what is likely to be a carefully choreographed trip.

On Saturday, Mr Putin traveled to Crimea, a short distance southwest of Mariupol, to mark the ninth anniversary of the Black Sea peninsula’s annexation from Ukraine.

The visits came days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader accusing him of war crimes.

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