LUGANSK, October 1. /TASS/. The liberation of the settlement of Shabelnoye in the Kharkov Region will make it possible to expand a buffer zone along the border with Russia, military expert Andrey Marochko said.

"Having liberated the settlement of Shabelnoye in the Kharkov Region, we will expand the buffer zone along the Russian border. Our forces are now advancing toward the major stronghold in Varvarovka," he told TASS.

The Russian defense ministry reported Shabelnoye’s liberation on September 30.