Putin Advances: New ‘Security Zone’ Signals Deeper Invasion

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the establishment of a so-called “security buffer zone” along the Russian-Ukrainian border.

According to a speech to government members, Russian troops are already working on implementing the order. “A decision was made to create the necessary security buffer zone along the borders. Our armed forces are currently solving this issue. Hostile firing points are being actively suppressed. The work is ongoing,” said Putin.

Demands and Threats Behind Closed Doors

During secret negotiations in Istanbul on May 16, the Russian delegation demanded that Ukraine formally cede the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions to Russia – including areas not yet controlled by Moscow. According to The Economist, the Russians threatened continued offensives should the demand be rejected, pointing to the Kharkiv and Sumy regions as the next targets.

Ukrainian Preparedness and Russian Armament

Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, earlier warned of an impending large-scale Russian escalation.

In April, he pointed out a significant increase in offensive operations, particularly in Sumy and Kharkiv. “We see an almost double increase in the number of offensive actions from the enemy side in all major directions… Judging by everything, they will not stop there,” he said.

A Chess Game Over Territories

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently described the Russian negotiation strategy as a diversionary tactic.

At the end of March, he warned against a simultaneous attack on the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions, calling Kremlin’s diplomacy an attempt to delay and confuse the international community.

“They are dragging the [ceasefire] negotiations and trying to draw the USA into endless, meaningless discussions on fake ‘conditions’ to buy time and then attempt to capture even more land,” he said.

Moscow’s Calculated Risks

Sources close to the Kremlin told The Moscow Times that Russia is considering attacking parts of the Dnipropetrovsk or Sumy regions in hopes of a future “bargaining chip” for Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. “We hope to find a solution that doesn’t require us to cross the Dnieper and storm Kherson. I really hope it doesn’t come to that. It would mean thousands of losses for us,” an anonymous source said.

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