MOSCOW -- Russian forces are working on establishing a security buffer zone along the country's border with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

"The enemy's firing positions are being actively suppressed, and work is ongoing," Putin said at a government meeting, referring to the buffer zone.

The Russian president noted the necessity to begin restoration work in the border regions of Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk and demine the areas where fighting previously took place.

Putin visited the Kursk region on Tuesday, where the Ukrainian army launched an offensive in August 2024. On April 26, Putin announced that Russia had regained full control of the region.