Putin announces buffer zone along Russian border with Ukraine

Russian forces are working to establish a buffer zone along the country’s border with Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, following his return from the Kursk region in southern Russia.

The decision to establish the zone had been taken, Putin said by video link during a government meeting. He did not stipulate where the buffer zone would lie or how large it would be.

“Our forces are currently engaged in solving this task, hostile firing points are being actively suppressed, and the work is ongoing,” he said.

Putin also issued instructions for a comprehensive reconstruction programme to be worked out for southern Russian regions affected by the war, including Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk. The regions have been damaged by Ukrainian drones and artillery fire.

Putin stated previously that the Kursk region had been cleared of Ukrainian troops following their incursion in August. He visited the region earlier this week.

He accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of lying when he said Ukrainian forces were still holding parts of Kursk and Belgorod.