Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow would expand its offensive in northeastern Ukraine and seize additional territory if Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure continue, while dismissing Ukraine's military claims and mocking the country's leadership during a visit to a military command post, The New York Times reported.
Speaking with commanders overseeing operations near Ukraine's border, Putin said Russia would expand what he described as a "security zone" in Ukraine's Kharkiv and Sumy regions, linking the move to cross-border strikes that Moscow blames on Kyiv.
"The more attacks there are on our civilian infrastructure, the more territory we will have to take as a security zone," Putin said.
He also renewed Russia's sweeping territorial claims, saying the areas under discussion were "historically Russian land."
The comments signaled the Kremlin intends to press its military campaign despite diplomatic efforts to end the more than four-year-old war.
Russia has increasingly described its operations in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions as efforts to establish a buffer zone along the border following Ukrainian incursions into Russia's Kursk region and repeated cross-border attacks.
Ukrainian officials have rejected that justification, saying Moscow is attempting to occupy more Ukrainian territory under the guise of security.
During the visit, Putin also dismissed Ukraine's battlefield claims, accusing Kyiv of promoting "imaginary achievements" and "successes that we know don't actually exist."
He directed personal criticism at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former actor and comedian, saying Ukraine's leaders were "play actors" who "don't really know how to do anything else and haven't been trained to do anything else."
The remarks reflected the Kremlin's continued effort to portray Ukraine's government as illegitimate while reinforcing domestic support for the war.
Ukraine has repeatedly rejected Russia's territorial claims and insists it will not cede occupied land as part of any negotiated settlement.
Zelenskyy has accused Moscow of using proposals for buffer zones and security belts to justify continued military advances deeper into Ukrainian territory.
The latest comments come as Russian forces continue offensive operations in northeastern Ukraine, where fighting has intensified in recent months around the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
Russia has made incremental gains while seeking to push Ukrainian forces farther from its border, though Ukrainian officials say their military continues to resist Russian advances along multiple fronts.
Putin has repeatedly argued that Russia's military objectives are necessary to protect its territory and citizens, while Ukraine and its Western allies contend the invasion is an unprovoked attempt to seize sovereign Ukrainian land.
The competing narratives have complicated efforts to negotiate a ceasefire, with both sides remaining far apart on key issues, including territorial control and long-term security guarantees.