HARBIN, May 17. /TASS/. Russia has no plans today to seize Kharkov in northeastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

"As for Kharkov, there are no such plans today," the Russian leader said, replying to a corresponding question.

The current Kiev regime is to blame for ongoing battles in the Kharkov direction, Putin stressed.

"Now about what is happening in the Kharkov direction. They [the Ukrainian authorities] are also to blame for that because they shelled and continue shelling, unfortunately, residential areas of borderline territories, including Belgorod. Civilians are being killed there. It is all obvious. They are bombarding directly the center of the city and residential quarters. I have said publicly that if this continues, we’ll have to create a security, buffer zone. This is what we are doing," the head of state said.