NEW YORK, June 25. /TASS/. Russia is succeeding in creating a buffer zone in eastern Ukraine to protect the Kursk region, a senior NATO official told the Defense One portal at a summit of the alliance.

The portal quoted the official as saying that the situation in eastern Ukraine continues to deteriorate for the Kiev regime amid the successes of the Russian Armed Forces in the Sumy Region.

“The real bottom line is the situation on the battlefield continues to be difficult. Ukraine continues to show a lot of innovative spirit, but we’re in for a stressful and difficult summer.”

According to Defense One, the Russian military-industrial complex consistently supplies the Russian army with heavy equipment and produces approximately 3 million artillery shells per year, while the United States produces less than 1 million over the same period.

On May 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the government that a decision to create a buffer zone on the border with Ukraine had already been made. According to the head of state, the task is already being solved by the Russian army.