Kharkiv and the region will be liberated to ensure Russia’s security, but it’s premature to talk about timelines, Vitaly Ganchev, the head of the Russian administration in the region, stated in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“I never make false promises and cannot do so, therefore I won’t mention specific dates. But I’m almost certain that our land will be liberated from Ukrainian nationalists very soon,” the agency’s interlocutor said.
All processes taking place in the Kharkiv region are aimed at creating a sanitary zone to ensure the security of Russian regions bordering Ukraine, Ganchev noted.
“This is unequivocally conditioned by the liberation of the territory, at least in the Kharkiv region,” the administration head added.
As President Vladimir Putin previously stated, Russia is forced to push the front line in the Kharkiv region to reduce the number of terrorist attacks on Belgorod and other populated areas. According to Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov, the creation of a buffer zone will continue until Russian regions are safe from shelling by Ukrainian military forces.