Russian Military Expands Buffer Zone in Sumy, Kharkov

(MENAFN) The Russian Defense Ministry announced that its forces have continued to push Ukrainian troops back from the border, enlarging a buffer zone in Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkov regions.

Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov made the statement during an inspection of the ‘Sever’ (‘North’) group of forces.

Gerasimov emphasized that “the forces of the joint troop grouping are confidently moving deeper into the enemy’s defenses,” noting that the pace of the offensive in December had reached record levels.

He estimated that “in a month’s time, more than 700 square kilometers of territory was liberated.”

Following the earlier expulsion of Ukrainian units from Russia’s Kursk Region, the ‘Sever’ troops began establishing a cordon sanitaire in the neighboring Ukrainian territories.

Gerasimov reported that Russian forces had taken control of 32 settlements, with Volchansk in Kharkov Region being the largest.

The military chief added that Moscow’s forces continued to expand the buffer zone in December under orders from President Vladimir Putin.

During his visit, Gerasimov also presented state awards to several service members and conveyed New Year’s greetings to the troops, according to the ministry’s statement.

MENAFN04012026000045017167ID1110552268