Advance into another Ukrainian region part of ‘buffer-zone' creation
Russia's recent advance into Ukraine's Dnepropetrovsk Region is part of the push by Moscow to establish a 'buffer zone' on the front line, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the 90th Armored Division had reached the western border of the Donetsk People's Republic and continued its offensive into the neighboring territory. The next day, it reported new territorial gains in the area, without providing details.
On Monday, Peskov confirmed that the recent advance was aimed at establishing a 'buffer zone' on the front line. 'It is one of the goals, of course, but if we talk about the nuances of the military actions themselves, then your questions should be addressed to the Defense Ministry,' the spokesman said.
The intention to create a 'buffer zone' was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin late last month. He delivered his remarks amid recurring Ukrainian drone and artillery strikes targeting civilians in Donbass, as well as Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions.
Following his comments, the Russian military also reported advances in Ukraine's Sumy Region along the border.
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They probably won't but Germans should pay close attention to a recent news item out of Russia: The Levada polling institute – long internationally acknowledged as serious and dependable – has published the result of a recent survey. It shows that Germany is now considered peak hostile by ordinary Russians: 55% of them name Germany as the country most unfriendly toward Russia. Five years ago, that figure stood at 40%. That was no small number either, but two things stand out now: First, the rapid increase in Germany's un-favorability rating and, second, the fact that Berlin has managed to take over the top position in this dismal ranking: For 20 years it was securely held by the US, which still came in at a whopping 76% as recently as last year. But now, clearly responding to Trump's new, comparatively more rational course toward Moscow, 'only' 40% of Russians see the US as the most unfriendly state. To paraphrase an old Soviet motto: Berlin has caught up with and overtaken America. 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