Putin announces work on creating 'buffer zone' along Ukrainian border. Kyiv reacts

Putin said, in particular, that the Ukrainian side allegedly chooses targets for attacks that have no military significance.

"I have already said that a decision was made to create a buffer security zone along the border. Our armed forces are now solving this problem, actively suppressing the enemy's firing points, and the work is ongoing," the head of the Kremlin said.

He added that it is necessary to deploy workers in the Bryansk, Belgorod, and Kursk regions in order to "restore and rebuild everything destroyed."

Ukraine's reaction

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi said that this statement demonstrates that Putin is the cause of the Russian-Ukrainian war and the fact that it is still going on.

“These words clearly prove that it is Putin, it is Russia that is an obstacle to peace efforts now, and it is they who need to be subjected to all forms of pressure to force Russia and Putin to peace and to a full long-term ceasefire,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman emphasized.

• In March, it was reported that in the Sumy region, the Russian troops were trying to carry out offensive actions and form a buffer zone.