Ukraine demands just peace for end to raids

Ukraine said yesterday it would not hold on to Russian territory captured in its surprise cross-border incursion and offered to stop raids if Moscow agreed a "just peace."

Ukrainian forces entered Russia's Kursk region last Tuesday, taking over two dozen settlements in the biggest attack by a foreign army on Russian soil since World War II. Russia said yesterday it had fended off new attacks in Kursk.

More than 120,000 people have fled the area and Ukraine's military chief Oleksandr Syrsky has said his troops controlled about 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory. At least 800 square kilometers were under Ukrainian control as of Monday, an analysis of data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War found.

Foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy said Kyiv was not interested in "taking over" Russian territory and defended Ukraine's actions as "absolutely legitimate."

"The sooner Russia agrees to restore a just peace the sooner the raids by the Ukrainian defences forces into Russia will stop," he said.

Ukraine said it was imposing movement restrictions in a 20-kilometer zone in Sumy region along the border with Kursk region due to an "increase in the intensity of hostilities" and "sabotage" activities.

Russia's defense ministry said it had "foiled" new Ukrainian attacks in Kursk by "enemy mobile groups in armoured vehicles to break through deep into Russian territory."

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