Russia's top general tells troops to keep carving out 'buffer zones' in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov attend a meeting on the "special military operation" amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict in Moscow, Russia, Dec 29, 2025. Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via REUTERS

Russia's top general has told troops to keep carving out buffer zones in Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv regions in order to protect civilians in Russia's neighbouring Kursk and Belgorod regions from Ukrainian attacks.

General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, made the comments during a visit to a command post belonging to Russia's "North" military grouping, which the Defence Ministry publicised on Wednesday.

The ministry did not say when Gerasimov made the comments or where the post was located.

There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine to Gerasimov's comments, but Kyiv has repeatedly condemned Moscow's efforts to carve out buffer zones inside its territory, accusing Russia of using the pretext of security zones to illegally grab more of its territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Moscow's plans for Sumy and Kharkiv are “mad” and will be resisted as Ukraine defends the two regions.

Gerasimov said Russian forces had taken control of around 950 square kilometres (366 square miles) in the two provinces, including 32 settlements.

Reuters could not verify his battlefield assertions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed the idea of buffer zones after Ukraine staged a surprise incursion into Russia's Kursk region in August 2024, which Moscow's forces then repelled in months of fierce fighting which saw both sides suffer heavy losses.

In a Kremlin meeting on Dec 29, Putin called work to carve out buffer zones very important and said it needed to continue in the new year.