Moscow Expands "Buffer Zone" for 2026 and Details Drone Strike on Putin’s Residence

Russia’s General Staff announced Wednesday that President Vladimir Putin has ordered the expansion of the "buffer zone" in Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv regions starting in 2026. This move aims to push Ukrainian forces further from the Russian border. Simultaneously, Major General Alexander Romaninkov detailed a "terrorist attack" involving 91 long-range drones that targeted Putin’s residence in Novgorod between December 28-29. Moscow claims the drones were launched from Sumy and Chernihiv, flying at extremely low altitudes to evade radar.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, dismissed these claims as "unfounded" and a "deliberate distraction" designed to derail diplomatic progress toward peace. While the Russian military released footage of a downed drone as evidence, President Zelensky condemned Moscow's expansion plans as "mad," vowing that Ukraine would fiercely resist any further incursions into its territory under the guise of a "security zone."