Sat 17 October 2026:
Russia is establishing a “security zone” inside Ukraine along their border, which will be non-negotiable in any future talks with Kyiv, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
Putin, wearing military uniform and speaking during a visit to a command post, said the operation was in response to Ukraine‘s 2024-25 incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region.
“The Russian armed forces were tasked not only with expelling the enemy from our land but also with establishing a security zone in the adjacent territory. This task is being carried out successfully,” he said in televised comments.
“Our goal is to ensure the absolute security of Russia’s border regions for the future, and we do not plan to make this a subject for potential peace negotiations with Ukraine.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the planned security zone spanned 660 km (410 miles), of which 70% was currently under Russia‘s control.
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Moscow is responding to Ukrainian attacks
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was responding to Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and e-commerce platforms. Speaking via video link at a meeting of the Business Russia forum on Thursday, Putin said Russia had responded to attacks on Wildberries and Ozon, accusing Ukraine of seeking Western support to pressure Moscow into halting its retaliatory strikes.
“They took the first step, and we began to respond. Now they are complaining about strikes on other types of facilities, including energy infrastructure and data centers. They started it. They shouldn’t have. They should have thought carefully about the consequences before taking that step,” he said.
Putin said Ukraine had continued targeting Russian energy infrastructure, adding that strikes on several oil refineries were attempted Wednesday. Some facilities were hit, but the damage was not significant, he said.
Trump announces immediate energy infrastructure ceasefire
On Sunday, Trump announced on his Truth Social media platform that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate ceasefire on attacks targeting each other’s energy infrastructure. The announcement marked a public US-brokered step aimed at limiting mutual strikes on power plants, refineries and related facilities amid broader peace efforts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was prepared to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stopped attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, stressing that any de-escalation must be reciprocal and backed by guarantees.
Meanwhile, Peskov said contacts with the US on the proposed energy truce were ongoing.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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