(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Senator Steve Daines of Montana and Representative Victoria Spartz of Indiana visited Kyiv and city's suburbs liberated from Russian invaders.

Daines and Spratz are the first American officials to make a visit to Ukraine since the start of the war, The New York Times reports.

“Nothing can substitute for actually being here, seeing it first-hand, spending time with the people and leaders here in Ukraine who have been horribly affected by this war,” Daines said.

It was important, he said, for American elected officials to show solidarity.

Read also: Presidents of Poland, Baltic states: World leaders have to visit Borodianka

As noted, the U.S. lawmakers were invited by the Ukrainian authorities. The politicians visited Kyiv, Bucha, and Borodianka.

Daines and Spartz said they were urging the United States to return diplomats to Ukraine as some European states have done.

Read also: Heads of Czech Republic and Poland parliaments visit liberated towns in Kyiv region

“I hope that our visit will encourage more American officials and leaders to come, to stand with the people of Ukraine,” Mr. Daines said, while Ms. Spartz said it was“important to show our support, to show we care.”

Read also: Almost 85% of people killed in Bucha have bullet wounds – mayor

On February 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops shell and destroy key infrastructure facilities, massively fire on residential areas of Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages using artillery, MLRS, ballistic missiles, and aviation bombs.

Photo credit: Daniel Berehulak for The New York Times

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