Blinken said up to a third of Ukraine's territory was now dealing with mines or unexploded ordnance
Blinken said up to a third of Ukraine's territory was now dealing with mines or unexploded ordnance AFP

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday praised Ukraine's strength in the face of the Russian invasion during a visit to the Chernigiv region, which was occupied by Moscow at the beginning of the war.

Blinken visited a school's basement in Yagidne, where Russian troops kept dozens of villagers including elderly people and children captive.

"This is just one building... (but) this is a story we've seen again and again," Blinken said.

"But we are also seeing something else that's incredibly powerful... the extraordinary resilience of the Ukrainian people."

Russian forces had seized parts of the Chernigiv region, including Yagidne, soon after the beginning of the war.

They withdrew after about a month, and Yagidne was recaptured by Ukrainian forces on March 30, 2022.

But the Russian army left towns and land destroyed and heavily mined.

Blinken said up to a third of Ukraine's territory was now dealing with mines or unexploded ordnance.

"But Ukrainians are coming together to get rid of the ordnance, to get rid of the mines, and to literally recover the land," Blinken said.

The top US official said Washington was "proud" to support Ukraine's efforts to "take on the aggression as they recover as they rebuild."

Ukraine