Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, stated that Russian leadership intends to establish a new “security zone” that would encompass the territories of Ukraine’s Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv regions. According to reports from the Russian state news agency TASS on Sunday, July 5, Medvedev framed the expansion of this buffer zone as a continuation of military objectives recently outlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The new security zone, which the head of state spoke about yesterday, will pass through the territory of the Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv regions,” Medvedev stated. In his statement, Medvedev also claimed unspecified successes by Russian forces on the frontline and employed hostile rhetoric toward the Ukrainian government and its Western partners. He asserted that Western countries are deliberately hiding the true state of affairs on the battlefield from their populations, while accusing Kyiv of spreading false information to secure continued financial support for its defense. Putin’s previous statements on buffer zones Medvedev’s comments follow recent declarations by Putin regarding Russia’s ongoing military campaign in Ukraine. During a visit to the auxiliary command post of the Joint Group of Forces on July 3, Putin announced that Russian forces would continue conducting mass strikes against Ukraine. As reported by the Russian news agency Interfax, Putin stated that strikes targeting Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and the infrastructure supporting its operations must continue.