Manipulation under the guise of "defense": what is behind Putin's statements about a "security zone" on the border

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with the military the day before, announced the need to "create a security zone along the border with Ukraine." Military analyst Ivan Stupak told UNN correspondent more about what Putin's statement means and what political consequences this decision will have.

Details

The Russian idea of creating a "security zone" is not new: it has been voiced from the Kremlin for several years now and each time it is presented under a different "sauce." For example, earlier the so-called "sanitary zone" and "buffer zone" were mentioned. According to the expert, the renewed return to this topic indicates not so much military logic as the informational needs of the Russian authorities. After all, such "buffers" in modern wars look absurd.

"A 'security zone' would have worked in the 17th, 18th centuries, perhaps even in the First World War. Now it makes no sense. Weapons are so long-range that this zone should be at least 300-400 kilometers deep. Either he doesn't understand what he's talking about, or it's an attempt to give new meaning to an old war."

The fact is that such a decision by the Russian dictator, according to the expert, allows the Kremlin to present its own aggression as defensive actions, which has already become a typical scheme of Russian politics. Instead of directly acknowledging occupational intentions, the military analyst says, Moscow explains its actions by the need to "protect its citizens" and broadcasts a favorable image both within the country and to part of the international audience. Such formulations create an informational fog in which any escalation can be presented as a forced step, the expert pointed out.

"That is, you can play this from different sides. 'We are not fighting, we are creating a security belt... We are not aggressors, we are just for the security of our country.' This is a substitution of terms and manipulation," explains the military analyst.

Also, according to the expert, it is possible that the introduction of the topic of a "security zone" may be part of a broader strategy to exhaust Ukrainian reserves. Russian dictator Putin entrusted this initiative to the "North" group - a military formation operating in the Sumy, Kharkiv, and partially Chernihiv directions.

"They understand that we don't have enough forces and forcing us to stretch all our reserves along the demarcation line along the entire border - that's approximately another 500 kilometers. And thus we don't have enough forces to defend Pokrovsk, Huliaipole, and so on. That is, in principle, this can also be with such a strategy," the expert emphasizes.

The military analyst says that the real risks will be determined not by loud words, but by real data from Ukrainian intelligence. If significant Russian forces are indeed accumulating on the border, then the statements may indicate preparation for offensive actions. If there is no accumulation of troops, then this is another informational maneuver.

"Our intelligence officers must have the final say here. If they say that, yes, indeed, Sumy, Chernihiv regions, and there, for example, 10-20 thousand Russians, then there is a threat. But if they say: 'Oh no, it's quiet there, they don't have anyone special there,' then there's nothing to worry about. Then it's a statement for the sake of a statement. That is, the military still needs to analyze the threats in advance." - Ivan Stupak concluded.

Addition

Earlier, Vladimir Putin announced his intention to create a "security zone" along the border with Ukraine. He also reported alleged successes of Russian troops at the front and control over several settlements.

Earlier, in May of this year, Putin announced the creation of a "buffer zone" along the borders with Ukraine.

And in 2024, Putin expressed the concept of a possible creation of a "sanitary zone".