🔸Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Friday, 24 Mehr, said Moscow is in the process of creating a “security zone” within Ukraine’s territory and along the border between the two countries; a zone, he said, that will not be negotiable in any future possible talks with Kyiv.

🔸Putin, wearing military attire, said during a visit to a command center that the operation is being carried out in response to the penetration of Ukrainian forces into the Kursk region in western Russia during the years 2024 and 2025.

🔸In remarks broadcast on television, he said: “The Russian armed forces have been assigned the mission not only to drive the enemy out of our lands, but also to create a security zone in the neighboring areas. This mission is being carried out successfully.”

🔸Putin added: “Our aim is to guarantee absolute security for Russia’s border regions in the future, and we do not intend to raise this issue in any possible peace negotiations with Ukraine.”

🔸Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said the intended security zone would extend 660 kilometers, and that 70% of it is currently under Russian control. He did not specify how deep into Ukraine’s territory the zone would go.