Ukraine National Guard Chief Warns of Possible Russian Push in the North

Russian Push in Northern Ukraine Seen as Possible Threat

00:01 06-10-2026

Ukraine National Guard chief Alexander Pivnenko says Russian forces could create a buffer zone in Sumy and Chernigov, forcing Kiev to shift more troops north.

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Ukraine National Guard commander Alexander Pivnenko said Russian forces could launch an offensive near the country’s northern borders.

He does not expect a full-scale push toward Kiev. Instead, Pivnenko said Russian troops could try to establish a buffer zone up to 10 kilometers deep in the Chernigov and Sumy regions.

According to him, such a move would force Ukraine to keep units permanently deployed in those sectors and send additional forces there.

Pivnenko also said this scenario for the Chernigov Region is being considered not only by him, but by the Ukrainian military command, including Commander-in-Chief Mikhail Drapaty.

At the end of August, deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office Pavel Palisa said Russia, in his view, still planned to create a buffer zone in the Kharkov, Sumy and Chernigov regions up to 20 kilometers deep, with the possibility of expanding it further. He also said Moscow was considering several possible options for operations in the Kiev and Chernigov directions.

In July, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the buffer zone between Russia and Ukraine was being created because of what he described as Kiev’s «aggressive nature».