Top Russian general says Putin orders expansion of Ukraine buffer zone in 2026
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov attends a meeting, chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin and dedicated to on the ‘special military operation’ amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Moscow December 29, 2025. — Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool pic via Reuters
Wednesday, 31 Dec 2025 2:22 PM MYT
MOSCOW, Dec 31 — Russia’s top general said its forces were pressing forward in northeastern Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin had ordered expansion of territory Moscow calls a buffer zone there in 2026, Russian news agencies said today.
Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said Putin ordered expansion in 2026 of the buffer zone in Ukraine’s regions of Sumy and Kharkiv near the Russian border, RIA said, adding that he inspected the “North” troop grouping.
The grouping, formed in early 2024, has operated in northeastern Ukraine, seeking to create a buffer along the border and trying to push back Ukrainian forces there for further advances.
Gerasimov’s remarks follow Russia’s vow to retaliate for what it claimed, without evidence, was an attempt to attack Putin’s residence, an allegation Kyiv denied, saying it was aimed at derailing peace talks as the war nears its fourth year.
There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine to the Gerasimov report.
Putin has repeatedly portrayed the buffer zone as a way to push Ukrainian forces and weapons farther from Russia’s border, citing cross-border shelling and drone attacks on regions such as Belgorod and Kursk.
Kyiv has rejected Moscow’s buffer zone calling it an idea Russia is using to justify deeper incursions into Ukrainian territory.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Moscow’s plans for Sumy and Kharkiv are “mad” and will be resisted as Ukraine defends the regions. — Reuters
Russia talks big , "big firecracker" as Penang Hokkien say, actually case crawl like a tortoise.
ReplyDeleteStill deep into ur know-nothing fart!
DeleteThe Russia/Ukraine war has gone into a consumption state of seeing who can last the journey.
Both sides r facing sopo-economical pressures both at home & abroad.
Russia is holding by utilizing its natural resources - oil, gas & agricultural produces generated at its far eastern end. Lives r tough but the Russians r volleying behind Putin.
EU is facing humongous sopo-economical issues too, that r getting worse as the war prolonged. The economies within the pact r fastly deteriorating & there r growing dissatisfaction within the member states.
Perhaps, Putin knows something that all those EU hawks couldn't or not willing to admit. Dragging the war on a slower but progressively forward march would eventually wear off the stamina of both the Yank & EU members.
If the Yank really decided to pull out, despite its NATO commitments, EU would be died within months.