MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the establishment of a security buffer zone in the border areas of Ukraine is proceeding as planned.

"The establishment of a security buffer zone in the border areas of Ukraine's Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions is progressing as planned," Putin said during a meeting held at one of the temporary command posts of the combined joint force group.

The more Ukraine attempts to strike civilian facilities in Russia, the more Russia must do to protect those facilities and its civilians, Putin noted, adding that "the more such attempts the enemy makes, the larger the security buffer zone we will have to establish in the adjacent territory."

Russia claims full control of Konstantinovka city

Also on Friday, Russia claimed that its armed forces had taken full control of the city of Konstantinovka in eastern Ukraine.

"The main news is that Konstantinovka has been completely taken," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying.

Konstantinovka is a key stronghold located in Ukraine's Donetsk region.

Following the announcement, Putin said the capture of Konstantinovka "carries great strategic significance," while visiting one of the temporary command posts of the joint force grouping on Friday.

"As we all know, the city is a key transportation hub and a major industrial center of Donbas," Putin said, adding that Russian forces have taken control of 133 settlements and more than 3,000 square km across Donbas and Novorossiya since the start of 2026. 

ALSO READ: 27 killed in 'massive' Russian attack on Ukrainian capital

'Full liberation' of Luhansk People's Republic

Putin also announced on Friday that Russian forces have completed the "full liberation" of the Luhansk People's Republic.

"I note that units and formations of the combined joint force group are fulfilling their missions in accordance with the operational plan devised by the General Staff of the Armed Forces (of the Russian Federation). The full liberation of the Luhansk People's Republic has been recently completed," Putin said during a meeting held at one of the temporary command posts of the combined joint force group.

The elimination of Ukrainian military formations continues across the territories of the Donetsk People's Republic, as well as the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, Putin added. 

Strikes against Ukraine

Russian forces conducted one massive and five group strikes over the past week targeting industrial, infrastructure, energy and logistics facilities used by the Ukrainian army, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

The ministry added that a total of 10 settlements were seized in the past week, namely Malinovka and Piskunovka in the Donbas region, Novoskelevatoye, Pisantsy, Alexandrovka and Bogodarovka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as well as Novoselovka, Rovnoye, Lesnoye and Kopani in the Zaporizhzhia region.

The Defense Ministry specified that the strikes are a retaliatory measure responding to Ukrainian forces attacking civilian targets.

On Friday, Yevgeny Balitsky, governor of the Russia-controlled part of the Zaporizhzhia region, said that five residents were killed and another 18 injured during a Ukrainian attack on the city market in Tokmak.

Russian authorities reported that one person was killed and two others injured in the Bryansk region, and a woman was killed in the Belgorod region due to Ukrainian attacks the same day.