Russia wants to seize 20% of the Donetsk region without a fight: buffer zone plan.

According to ТСН: Russia is attempting to capture the unoccupied part of the Donetsk region without military action, masking it with the concept of the so-called economic zone for the actual transfer of territories.

This was reported by Ukrainian MP, SBU Colonel Roman Kostenko during a program.

Consequences of the 'economic zone'

According to him, the implementation of the 'buffer economic zone' plan will lead to a hidden legalization of the Russian military presence and further advancement of the occupiers.

“As soon as the scenario for the buffer economic zone in Donetsk is signed, it will mean that this will be a masked transfer of these territories to Russia. Believe me, Russia will find a way to enter and seize these territories,” Kostenko emphasized.

Kostenko also noted that in 2025, despite heavy losses, the Russian army managed to capture only a small part of the region's territory.

Military losses

“Russia in 2025, losing hundreds of thousands of soldiers and thousands of units of equipment, captured 16% of the Donetsk region with its nearly one-million army. Today marks the 1419th day of war. During this time, World War II has already ended, but here — only 16% of the region,” the MP noted.

Kostenko stressed that over 20% of the Donetsk region's territory remains unoccupied, and Russia is trying to seize it without direct combat actions.

Occupiers' plans

He also pointed out that implementing such a scenario would allow the occupiers to free up significant resources and redirect them to other fronts.

“The Russians want to take these 20% without a fight — without new hundreds of thousands of losses and without destroyed equipment. And the freed forces they plan to direct either south of Ukraine or to other fronts, including the Baltic countries,” he explained.

SBU Colonel emphasized that agreeing to such proposals would be a strategy of defeat.

“This is a deception. If we fall for it, it will mean giving territories to Russia and then fighting on another front. It’s not certain that the occupiers are even capable of seizing what remains of the Donetsk region. They want to take it just like that,” Kostenko concluded.

Earlier it was reported that the Russian army maintains an offensive pace along the entire front, but based on the results of recent days, the aggressor has virtually no real gains.

At the same time, information emerged about enemy advances in Kharkiv and Pokrovsk directions, specifically in Vovchansk, Pokrovsk, and near the village of Vilcha in the Chuhuiv region.

This situation indicates ongoing tension in the region, where Russia, despite significant losses, does not cease its attempts to expand control over the territory. The mentioned plans may affect not only the future of the Donetsk region but also the entire security context in Ukraine and the region as a whole.