Russia marks Victory Day parade amid Ukraine war
Al JazeeraMAY 2024
Russia is likely hoping to seize on a window of opportunity to grab more territory while Ukrainian troops wait for the new US weapons packages to arrive. The Kremlin knows it will be much more difficult to have any success once the supplies of Ukrainian troops are replenished.
With Ukraine's Western partners providing it with long-range weapons that have an increased range, it was necessary for Russia to create this buffer zone so that it can keep Russian citizens safe.