Analysts explain what term "buffer zones" means in Ukraine according to putin - ISW

Putin and other Kremlin officials use the term "buffer zones" in an attempt to expand russia's territorial claims in Ukraine. Thus, the russian invaders are trying to advance as far as possible into the territory of Ukraine.

This conclusion was made by analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

They, in particular, quote putin, who stated that russian troops "find themselves" in territories outside the four regions that russia illegally annexed in accordance with the "logic of military operations", and then recalled the proverb "where the foot of a russian soldier steps, there is russian land".

At the same time, putin does not rule out the capture of Sumy by russia "in principle", but claims that russia is not currently pursuing this goal. He added that russia's actions in the north of the Sumy Region are due to Ukraine's shelling of russia's border areas.

In addition, among the russians, there are versions that the "buffer zone" should be 20 to 30 kilometers deep to protect the occupied territory, or in the Dnipropetrovsk Region to the Dnipro River to protect the occupied Donetsk Region from strikes by Ukrainian HIMARS systems.

Earlier, Kremlin officials justified the russian offensive in the north of the Kharkiv Region by an attempt to protect the city of Belgorod from Ukrainian shelling and strikes by multiple rocket launchers.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Colonel Pavlo Palisa, also stated that russia probably seeks to create a buffer zone along the northern Ukrainian-russian border by the end of 2025 and intends to occupy the entire territory of Ukraine on the left bank of the Dnipro, including eastern Dnipropetrovsk Region and the entire Kharkiv Region, by the end of 2026.

“The Kremlin continues to demonstrate that it will not be satisfied with the seizure of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson Regions, and will use the guise of buffer zones to justify its territorial ambitions beyond these four regions,” the Institute for the Study of War concluded.

Other key ISW findings:

• Russian president vladimir putin has declared that russians and Ukrainians are one nation and that all of Ukraine is effectively russian, as part of his efforts to justify further conquest of Ukraine.
• Putin has argued that russia can achieve its goals through a protracted war in Ukraine.
• The Kremlin continues to prioritize maintaining the appearance of economic stability, pursuing economic policies that are likely to exacerbate russia’s economic instability.
• Putin is trying to hide the reality that increased investment in russia’s defense-industrial base has come at the expense of civilian sectors of the economy.
• Open source intelligence suggests that russia is increasing its production capacity of T-90M tanks.
• Ukraine and russia have conducted the sixth exchange of prisoners of war in accordance with the Istanbul Agreements of June 2.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Brigadier General Hennadii Shapovalov as Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Recently, russian troops have advanced in the areas of Kupyansk, Siversk, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk.