LUGANSK, July 7 /TASS/. About five kilometers of Russia’s national border at the junction with Ukraine’s Sumy Region is now under the full control of the Russian army after the liberation of the village of Bessalovka, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.

"With the capture of Bessalovka we took control of the state border, which was located in the so-called gray zone, and began to form a buffer zone. Now about five km of the state border is under our full control," he said.

The military expert suggested that in this way the Russian army is preparing a springboard for further advance at Bessalovka, which will allow the Russian army to push the Ukrainian troops away from the Russian border.