Vladimir Putin has announced that Russian army is creating a “security buffer zone” along the Russian-Ukrainian border.
“I have already said that a decision was made to create the necessary security buffer zone along the border. Our armed forces are currently solving this problem. Enemy firing points are being actively suppressed, the work is underway,” Putin said on Tuesday.
Kyiv slammed Russia’s plan, with Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi describing it as “aggressive” and demonstrative of the fact that “Russia is the obstacle of peace efforts now.”
Putin first floated the idea of creating a buffer zone back in March during a visit to Russia’s border Kursk region where Ukraine launched a surprise incursion in August last year and seized swathes of lands. The Russian leader doubled down on this idea last week on Thursday during a government meeting in which he spoke about the need to “restore and rebuild everything that was destroyed” in the border region. The Russian leader said residents must be returned to their native villages, settlements and infrastructure must be restored where possible.
The announcement about the “buffer zone” comes days after Putin visited Kursk for the first time since claiming to have completely retaken the region from Ukrainian forces. Putin also discussed the new buffer zone with municipal officials during his visit to Kursk.
