Russia is creating ‘security strip’ in Ukraine’s Sumy region after retaking Kursk: Reports

Russia is continuing to create a “security strip” in border areas of Ukraine’s Sumy region after driving Ukrainian troops out of the Kursk region of western Russia, state news agency RIA quoted the Russian defense ministry as saying on Friday.

It quoted the ministry as saying that in the past week, Russian troops had seized four settlements in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.

President Vladimir Putin said in March that Russia should look to create a buffer zone in Sumy region, which borders Kursk.