"They have included a provision for establishing a buffer zone in Vinnytsia Oblast from the side of the unrecognized Transnistria. This is the first time we’ve recorded plans of this nature,” Palisa said.
“Frankly, there is no need to panic, because at this point I do not see them having the forces to implement all these plans.”
The enemy is also seeking to establish buffer zones in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv oblasts along the northeastern border.
Moscow’s broader plans include creating conditions to attempt to seize Zaporizhzhya and Kherson oblasts, and, in the longer term, pursuing what Palisa described as “aggressive ambitions” to capture Mykolaiv and Odesa oblasts.
On March 10, Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces, said that Russian troops were attempting to establish a 20-kilometer-wide buffer zone along the border in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts by capturing frontier villages.