Russian troops seek to create buffer zone in Kharkiv region - ISW

Russian forces appear to be prioritizing the rapid establishment of a "buffer zone" along the international border over pursuing a further advance.

This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War think tank, Ukrinform reports.

"Russian forces continued to make tactically significant advances north and northeast of Kharkiv City on May 13 and currently appear to be prioritizing the rapid establishment of a "buffer zone" along the international border over setting conditions for deeper penetrations into northern Kharkiv Oblast," the report says.

It is noted that the relatively fast pace of the advance of Russian troops around the town of Vovchansk and reports of the destruction of several bridges across key water arteries within the settlement indicate that Russian troops prefer creating a "buffer zone" rather than ensuring a deeper advance, as previously estimated by ISW experts.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Kremlin officials have repeatedly suggested that Russia establish a "demilitarized buffer zone" in occupied Ukraine to "protect" Russian territory from Ukrainian strikes, and Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov directly linked this buffer zone with intensified Russian offensive operations by Moscow's troops south of Belgorod region.

Ukrainian and Western officials have also recently said that Russian forces intend to create a 10-kilometer buffer zone in Kharkiv region, and ISW experts recently noted that this buffer zone would allow Russian forces to employ artillery against the city of Kharkiv.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the evacuation of the population has been ongoing for more than three days in Vovchansk and its suburbs due to intensified Russian shelling.