Ukraine says it has no interest in and defended Kyiv’s actions there as “absolutely legitimate.”
The comments from Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy come a week after Ukraine launched a cross-border assault into Russia.
Ukraine says the operation has seen its forces take control of 1,000 square kilometers (just under 400 square miles) of land in Russia’s Kursk region. Analysis of data provided by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) by AFP news agency showed Ukraine controlling 800 square kilometers of territory.
“We are achieving relevant goals in the Kursk region and will continue to do so as it is necessary for the security and defense of Ukraine,” said Tykhy.
He said that Russia had launched more than 2,000 strikes from the Kursk region in recent months.
“The purpose of this operation is to preserve the lives of our children, to protect the territory of Ukraine from Russian strikes.”
The spokesman also said the incursion was helpful for Ukraine’s forces on the frontline in the eastern part of the country. He said it prevented Russia from transferring additional units to the Donetsk region, complicating military logistics for Russia.
“The sooner Russia agrees to restore a just peace … the sooner the raids by the Ukrainian defenses forces into Russia will stop,” Tykhy told reporters.
“Unlike Russia, Ukraine does not need other people’s property. Ukraine is not interested in taking over the territory of the Kursk region, but we want to protect the lives of our people.”
He also rejected Russian claims that Ukrainian troops had been guilty of war crimes in the Kursk region.
“It should be noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are a civilized European military force that fully complies with the laws and customs of war and international humanitarian law. The Ukrainian defense force’s targets are military forces only. This is very important.”
“Russia brought this war to Ukrainian territory, and it is absolutely fair that this war is now returning to Russian territory,” he added.
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