Putin Says Security Zone in Ukraine Will Not Be Negotiable
Dragon Media Newsroom
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that establishing a security zone near Russia’s border will not be discussed in potential peace talks with Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, Putin visited an auxiliary command post of the Joint Force on Friday, October 16, and met with military officials.
Putin said that after Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region, Russian forces were tasked not only with driving them out of Russian territory but also with establishing a security zone in adjacent areas to protect Russia’s border regions. He said the task was progressing. He did not specify how far the planned zone would extend into Ukrainian territory. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it would be about 660 kilometres long and that Russia controlled 70 percent of the area.
Putin instructed military commanders to continue large-scale, coordinated strikes against Ukrainian defence industry facilities and logistics centres. He described the results of Russian strikes as positive. Presenting full control of Donbas as a key objective, he claimed Russian forces were advancing across all frontline sectors and had recently increased their pace.
According to Putin, Russian forces brought more than 1,300 square kilometres of territory in Donbas and Novorossiya under their control in September. He claimed that since the beginning of the year they had taken control of around 6,500 square kilometres and 310 settlements. He also described Russian advances in Dobropillia and Alexeyevo-Druzhkivka as successes and asked commanders to convey his gratitude to the troops. These claims about the territory and the situation on the battlefield have not been independently verified.
Putin also said that around 2,000 Ukrainian troops had been encircled within an area of 460 square kilometres in the Kharkiv region, and that Russian forces were advancing in the Zaporizhzhia region. Acknowledging the need to improve air defences, he called for better protection of civilian facilities, as well as military sites.
