Russia's top general, Valery Gerasimov, has instructed troops to continue establishing "buffer zones" within Ukraine, claiming control of approximately 950 square kilometers and 32 settlements in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Ukraine has condemned these actions, viewing them as a pretext for illegal territorial grabs and calling Russia's plans "mad." President Putin has emphasized the importance of these buffer zones, particularly after a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region.