Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the creation of a “Security Buffer Zone” on Thursday, indicating that Russian forces may expand operations to include additional areas of Ukraine.
In a web meeting with various government officials regarding the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border, Putin stated: “It has been decided to create the necessary security buffer zone along the border. Our armed forces are actively solving this task now. The enemy’s firing positions are suppressed, the work is going on.”
Putin would also further state that this order applied to the Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions, all of which border Ukrainian territory.
Putin’s statement comes a day after the city of Lgov in the Kursk region, near the border, was struck by Ukrainian forces with U.S.-supplied HIMARS rockets, leaving 16 people injured, including two children.
Putin announced that he ordered a comprehensive program to restore the border areas in the Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk regions, which have suffered over the last three years, including from incursions by Ukrainian troops in all three regions.
While Russian forces are currently fighting in the Sumy and Kharkov regions, which border Kursk and Belgorod, Putin’s order may indicate an expansion of fighting along the border and suggest how far Russia intends to advance into Ukraine.
In March 2023, the Bryansk region of Russia became the first area where Ukrainian troops attempted to carry out an incursion into Russian territory. That attack came from the Chernigov region of Ukraine, where Russian forces had briefly occupied areas during the early days of the special military operation but withdrew from by late March 2022.
During the meeting, Putin was also asked by a government official about taking the city of Sumy, which serves as the regional capital of Sumy Oblast. Putin did not dismiss the suggestion, potentially hinting at Russian plans to seize the city.
In contrast, last May when asked about capturing the city of Kharkov, Putin stated that it was not necessary, as Russia only needed to secure the border.
Earlier this week, Russian forces captured the town of Loknya in the Sumy region, which now places them less than 20 miles (32 km) from the city of Sumy itself.