Moscow controls the course of the war, is achieving its objectives, and has the right to occupy new Ukrainian territories in the name of regional security, pro-Kremlin media claims.
NEWS: "We know how it will all end", Vladimir Putin commented regarding the results of the “special operation” in Ukraine, during a meeting with representatives of municipal authorities. The President emphasized that the Russian Federation will pursue the achievement of the objectives it has set for this operation. According to him, Russian military personnel are gradually creating a security zone at the border with Ukraine. “The security zone is being created gradually on the adjacent territory. We will continue to act until we eliminate the threat to our border regions”, Vladimir Putin said.
In May 2025, Vladimir Putin had stated that a security buffer zone was being created at the border with Ukraine. “The decision was made to create the necessary security buffer zone along the border. Our armed forces are now completing this task. The enemy's firing positions are being suppressed”, the president said during a meeting with government members.
Putin mentioned that demining territories in border areas, where military actions unfolded, is particularly important for ensuring security. The buffer zone is designed to protect the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions. These regions border the Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernigov regions of Ukraine. The length of the security buffer zone along the border between Russia and Ukraine will be at least 50 kilometers, Andrey Kolesnik, a member of the Defense Committee in the State Duma believes.
NARRATIVES: 1. Russia is gradually achieving the objectives of the "special military operation". 2. The security zone inside Ukraine is a necessary and legitimate measure. 3. Ukraine is a source of insecurity, and Russia is reacting to defend its population.
PURPOSE: To justify the continuation of military aggression. To present Russia as a victim acting in legitimate defense. To appease the Russian public opinion by promoting the idea that the war is going “according to plan”. To shift the narrative from the failure of the objectives declared in 2022 toward a more flexible formula regarding "security."
The Kremlin's objectives have not been achieved. The "buffer zone" is a pretext to continue the aggression
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: Vladimir Putin has been repeating for years that Russia will achieve the war's objectives, even though these are not clearly defined, and the initial plan to conquer Kyiv and change the Ukrainian leadership failed. The full-scale war did not end in three days, but has already been lasting for over four years. Moreover, none of the goals declared by Putin on the morning of February 24, 2022, have been achieved: Ukraine has not been demilitarized, the so-called “denazification” remained nothing more than a propaganda slogan devoid of real substance, and the political regime in Kyiv continues to make strategic decisions.
Instead of saying using the term war of aggression, Russian propaganda invented the formula “special military operation”. The UN General Assembly condemned the Russian aggression and demanded the withdrawal of troops. In February 2026, it once again adopted a resolution supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine and condemning the intensification of Russian attacks on civilians and energy infrastructure. Since March 2023, there has been an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin issued by the International Criminal Court for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. After four years of war, the cost of Ukraine's reconstruction was estimated by the World Bank, the UN, the European Commission and the Kyiv government at nearly 588 billion dollars. Russia has caused the greatest destruction in Europe since the end of World War II.
The narrative about the “security zone” and “buffer zone” reverses the reality of the war. Russia claims it is threatened by the country it invaded and asserts that its own security can only be obtained by occupying new Ukrainian territories. In fact, this is not a defense measure, but a justification for continuing the war. Furthermore, the “buffer zone” does not shield Russia from attacks. Ukraine no longer focuses its attacks only in Russian border regions, but also very far from the frontier. Ukrainian drones have hit ports and oil infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, and the Ust-Luga and Primorsk terminals became non-functional for several weeks, forcing Russia to reduce oil production. Some large refineries, including Tuapse and Novokuibyshevsk, stopped their operations after the attacks. The refinery in Ufa is located over 1,400 km from the Ukrainian border. This shows that pushing the frontline deeper into the territory of Ukraine does not eliminate the false threat invoked by the Kremlin.
On the other hand, the war objectives proclaimed by Putin cannot be considered achieved. On the contrary, Russia is facing more and more difficulties and an evident regression. The war has not brought Russia more safety, but more vulnerability and insecurity. In several regions, restrictions were imposed due to Ukrainian attacks, including interruptions of electricity, gas and Internet, with direct effects on the population and economic activities. At the same time, criticism from within appears more often, including from circles that until recently supported the war. Criticism regarding the exaggeration of frontline achievements and the authorities’ inability to prevent Ukrainian strikes on important targets have appeared in the Russian public space. This contradicts the narrative about a certain victory and a plan followed without fault.
Essentially, the buffer zone is not a security mechanism, but a new justification for continuing the war. With this move, Russia tries to present the occupation of further Ukrainian territories as a defense measure. Additionally, the idea is illogical in the way it is formulated: if it were truly a measure to separate troops, such a zone would imply at least a reciprocal approach on the territory of both states, not just pushing the confrontation line deeper into the interior of Ukraine. In the form promoted by the Kremlin, the “buffer zone” does not aim to reduce danger for both sides, but to deprive Ukraine of new territories and the possibility to defend itself.
BACKGROUND: The idea of a buffer zone was launched by Vladimir Putin in 2024. “Taking into account the tragic events taking place today, we will be forced at some point, when we consider it appropriate, to create a buffer zone in the territories currently subordinate to the Kyiv regime”, Putin said. The leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, praised Vladimir Putin's initiative, stating that Donbas is attacked by Ukrainian troops, and they must be driven toward the west of the country.
Pro-Kremlin comments say that the buffer zone should start from Russia's borders as defined by it – meaning including the Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia, which are partially under Russian occupation and illegally annexed by Moscow. The “buffer zone” would extend over a sufficiently large distance so that Ukraine could no longer strike those regions, which practically means that only a fraction would remain of Ukraine's current territory.
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