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In late May, Vladimir Putin announced the creation of a “buffer security zone” in Ukraine’s Sumy Region. The main purpose of creating this zone is to protect Russia’s border regions: Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions from shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). Russian authorities also cited the incident of August 2024, when the AFU conducted a raid into Kursk region from the territory of Sumy region. This was a key argument for the “legal” creation of a buffer zone.
The kilometerage needed to create a buffer zone in Sumy region was revealed by Alexander Khinshtein, the interim governor of Kursk region.
“As of today, the military tell us that the security zone is 30 kilometers. That is, everything over 30 kilometers. That’s why our demining also comes from the line of contact. Not everywhere it coincides with the border,” said Hinshtein.
At the same time, he said that 30 kilometers may not be enough to create a buffer zone.
“This is reflected in the range of shelling, because the mortar takes up to 30 kilometers. And missiles and 30, and 40, and 50, and up to 100, unfortunately,” the governor concluded.
Russian State Duma deputy Viktor Vodolatskyy insists on the depth of the buffer zone of 300 km covering six Ukrainian regions – Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Odessa.
As of June 25, 2025, Russian forces in Sumy region have advanced to a depth of about 5-7 km from the Russian border. The Russian Defense Ministry reports fire damage to AFU manpower and hardware in the areas of Radyanskoye, Andreyevka, Novaya Sech, Alekseyevka, Kondratovka, Khrapovshchina, Yunakovka, and Sadki.
While Ukrainian channels claim to have established control over Andreevka, Russian channels share video footage showing a forest belt in the vicinity of Andreevka, where the remains of Ukrainian soldiers lie under almost every tree.
During the day, the AFU launched more than 11 unsuccessful counterattacks: in the direction of Kondratovka, Alekseevka, Andreevka, Yablonovka, Novonikolayevka, Yunakovka and Sadki.
In the Tetkinо and Glushkovka directions, the AFU is also not abandoning its attempts to break through into Russian territory, replacing losses in the assault groups with drone operators. Relatives of servicemen of the 225th separate assault regiment report on social media that graduates of drone operator courses have been transferred to assault groups to continue the unit’s participation in the “Tetkino provocation.”
Footage from Tetkino
Russian war correspondent Alexander Kots made the first report on the advance of the Russian Armed Forces in Sumy region “How Russian paratroopers move the front line to Sumy”. In the report he said that the formation of the “buffer zone” begins deep in the rear, with modeling and practicing of tasks and selection and training of servicemen.
The scouts are recruited only by choice, intellectually developed, with critical thinking and physically healthy. Reconnaissance teams operate at night, using thermal imaging blankets for stealthy movement. Thus, in the operation near Zhuravka, the Ajax group stealthily approached AFU positions and killed up to 15 servicemen, ensuring the success of the assault.
In Yunakovka itself, organized resistance has broken down – Russian troops are conducting a mop-up operation, repelling counterattacks by the AFU, which has engaged elite brigades and British mercenaries in its attacks.
The areas of the Kursk region through which the paratroopers are marching resemble the apocalypse:
“You have to approach the border at special times. The most popular transportation is quad bikes. They now have trailers attached to them, on which they transport provisions, ammunition and fuel for generators closer to the front line. The route through Kursk villages that have been in the news for the last year. Lyubimovka, Daryino, Nikolayevo-Daryino… The picture is depressing. The settlements were destroyed a little less than completely. Only a few houses survived, the rest – stove pipes and burnt walls.
The roads are covered with anti-drone nets for kilometers, and we are rushing on an ATV, as if along a corridor leading to a parallel world. Along the roadsides there is burnt-out equipment. From time to time there are charred hulks of ATVs like ours. Recently, though, this section of the state border has become calmer, thanks to the “buffer zone”.
Literally nothing reminds of the existence of the state border now. No signs, no poles.
Taking advantage of the lull, we go out to the village (Sumy region). Now they differ little from Russian border villages in the degree of destruction”.
In one of the courtyards a terrible discovery awaits us. Right by the gate in the tall grass lies a human skull. No body, no clothes… The fighters showed me the same one in Malaya Lokna. They had no explanation other than decapitation. But where the body was taken and why – inexplicable.”
“Whatever drones you build, whatever missiles they hand you, it’s the infantry that ultimately decides everything. I think that’s what Putin meant in his speech in St. Petersburg. Once again, he made it clear to Kiev that the longer it stays capricious, the worse the next peace terms will be for it. In 2014, they should have simply recognized Crimea and given autonomy to Donbass. Today they have to accept the loss of five regions. And tomorrow, maybe they will have to say goodbye to Sumy. I have no doubt that our units will fulfill the task of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.”
The front line is irreversibly shifting towards Sumy. And while Kiev is “capricious” (in the words of Alexander Kots), the paratroopers are doing their job – creating a zone where Russian regions will finally find security.
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brussels will soon show putin who’s really in charge.
or, reality strikes and u wake up and realize the dog crapped on u again…
what? i like rooting for the underdogs or the bull at the arena. that doesn’t make me a bad person actually on the contrary is a sign of kindness, compassion, it’s so disappointing.
we already know that because nato is being crushed🤡
the ukrainians may not at all bother to defend sumy and instead just lose all their troops in banzai charges
sumy another path to kiev . if the nato war mafia doesn’t surrender . it will be . these war sorcerers destroy their on nations by funding israel and ukraine to destroy other nations . what idiots
did i read odessa mentioned in the article ? that would be a much better strategy than taking a town or village as it would be devastating for ukraine and the usa/uk/eu ukraine cut off from the black sea.
odessa is hard to get it, they would have to cross the dnieper and 100s of miles of territory. the current russian army isn’t capable of doing such a task under the current restrictions imposed by moscow.
thanks for the reply vanya didn’t know it was tough going.
no urban warfare in odessa the city is just too big and also should be preserved it is called the paris of the east🫶
putin makes so many rules (don’t attack bridges, don’t attack infrastructure, don’t attack decision making centers, etc,) the russian army can’t take any effective action.
thats not good military strategy but supposed good from a political standpoint the problem is the west highly censors anything good russia does so its a lost cause , only western propaganda allowed in the uk media.
that was mainly in the past the bridges that are still standing can be useful for moving troops and equipment💯