Russia pushes deeper: Putin orders 'buffer zone' expansion in Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv in 2026; Zelenskyy calls plans 'mad'

Russia on Wednesday said that its forces are advancing in northeastern Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin ordering the expansion of a territory that Moscow describes as a "buffer zone" along the border in 2026, according to Russian state news agencies.

Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said Putin had directed the expansion of the buffer zone in Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions, close to the Russian border.





According to RIA, Gerasimov inspected the " North" troop grouping and held a meeting at a command post during his visit.

Russia’s "North" troop grouping, formed in early 2024, has been operating in northeastern Ukraine with the stated aim of creating a buffer along the border. The force has sought to push back Ukrainian troops in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions and position itself for further advances.

Putin has repeatedly described the buffer zone as a way to move Ukrainian forces and weapons farther from Russia’s borders, citing cross-border shelling and drone attacks on regions such as Belgorod and Kursk.

Gerasimov’s comments come after Russia vowed retaliation over what it claimed—without providing evidence—was an attempt to attack Putin’s residence, an allegation Kyiv denied. Ukraine said the claim was aimed at derailing peace talks as the war approaches its fourth year.

There was no immediate response from Ukrainian officials to Gerasimov’s remarks, Reuters reported.

Kyiv has rejected Moscow’s buffer zone plan, saying Russia is using it to justify deeper incursions into Ukrainian territory. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called Moscow’s plans for Sumy and Kharkiv "mad" and said Ukraine would resist as it defends the regions.