Kremlin : Russia aims to establish 'buffer zone' in ongoing push towards Kharkiv
According to a representative of the Russian president, the occupying army does not intend to abandon its objective of seizing as much Ukrainian territory as possible.
Russia has not given up on its plans to advance in the Kharkiv region despite heavy losses. The Russian Armed Forces have been tasked with creating a "buffer zone", said Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov in a comment to Russian propagandist Pavel Zarubin.
"The work on creating a buffer zone, a sanitary zone, continues. Obviously, until we secure Shebekino, Belgorod region, and our other regions from such barbaric shelling, this work on creating a sanitary zone will not stop," said the Kremlin representative.
Peskov also reiterated the view of Putin that the "point of no return" is dangerously close, blaming the "collective West" for escalating tensions.
"We see how the countries of the collective West – the USA, France, and other European nations – constantly ramp up tensions, provoke tension, and lead to new rounds of escalation. Naturally, this cannot happen without a response from Russia. The Russian Federation will defend its interests and will strive by all possible means to achieve the aims of the Special Military Operation, as it terms the war against Ukraine," he stated.
On June 15, it became known that fighters of Ukraine’s Third Independent Assault Brigade successfully repelled the Russian attack in the north of the Kharkiv region. A video shared online shows fighters from the 3rd Assault Brigade repelling an enemy assault from their positions in a forest plantation.
In addition, the head of intelligence of the 3rd Battalion, operational brigade "Spartan," with the call sign "Barracuda," reported that the Russian Armed Forces aim to seize a highway near the village of Liptsy, which leads directly to Kharkiv.