Overview
- Valery Gerasimov said Russian forces are pressing forward in northeastern Ukraine and that he inspected the “North” troop grouping.
- He said Putin instructed an expansion next year of territory Russia labels a buffer in the Sumy and Kharkiv border regions.
- The “North” formation, created in early 2024, has operated to push Ukrainian units away from the frontier and pave the way for further advances.
- Moscow presents the zone as protection for border regions such as Belgorod and Kursk from shelling and drone strikes.
- Ukraine disputes the narrative, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy calling the plans “mad,” and officials denying Russia’s unproven claim of an attempted strike on Putin’s residence.