Moscow continues to demonstrate claims to Ukrainian territories that go beyond the temporarily occupied part of Donetsk region. This is evidenced by statements from the head of the self-proclaimed “DPR,” Denis Pushilin, regarding the creation of a so-called “buffer zone.”
Source: Gazeta.UA
Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) note that the Kremlin may be using these statements as an information tool, attempting to justify the continuation of the war with broader territorial ambitions.
Pushilin stated the alleged need to create a “buffer zone” on the territory of Dnipropetrovsk region to “protect” the occupied part of Donbas, and also mentioned intentions regarding the “liberation” of Zaporizhzhia region.
At the same time, according to ISW assessments, Russia may be trying to include other regions of Ukraine in its territorial claims, despite international proposals for conflict settlement.
Among potential targets, analysts name Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Odesa regions, which indicates an expansion of the Kremlin’s rhetoric beyond Donbas.