Ukraine said on Tuesday that it will not hold on to Russian land gained in a surprise cross-border incursion and offered to halt raids in exchange for a “just peace” with Moscow.
Last Tuesday, Ukrainian forces stormed Russia’s Kursk region, seizing control of two dozen settlements in the largest foreign military attack on Russian soil since World War II. Russia announced on Tuesday that it has fended off further strikes in Kursk.
More than 120,000 people have evacuated the area, and Ukraine’s military chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, said on Monday that his soldiers controlled approximately 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory.
On Tuesday, foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy stated that Ukraine is not interested in taking over Russian territory and defended its activities as absolutely legitimate.
“The sooner Russia agrees to restorepeace… the sooner the raids by the Ukrainian defences forces into Russia will stop,” he stated to journalists.
Meanwhile, Ukraine announced that it was implementing movement restrictions in a 20-kilometer zone along the Sumy-Kursk border owing to a increase in the intensity of hostilities” and sabotage actions.
According to an AFP examination of data from the Institute for the Study of War in the United States, Ukraine controlled at least 800 square kilometers as of Monday.
Russia’s defense ministry stated that it has “foiled” further Ukrainian attacks in Kursk by enemy mobile groups in armored vehicles to break through deep into Russian territory.
In a statement, Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia’s FSB security service, also stated that Ukraine carried out the strike with the support of the collective West.
Since its invasion in February 2022, Russia has seized land in southern and eastern Ukraine and bombarded Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones. Ukraine’s incursion was the most significant cross-border operation since the invasion, and it took Russia off guard.
“They didn’t protect the border,” a Ukrainian serviceman named Ruzhyk told AFP in Sumy.
“They only had anti-personnel mines scattered around trees at the side of the road and a few mines that they managed to quickly throw along the highways,”.
Faraon, a 27-year-old squad leader, described the Kursk combat in sparse but clear terms.
“I witnessed a lot of deaths in the first few days. It was terrible at first, but we grew accustomed to it,” he told AFP.
“There have been many deaths,” he said as he stood next to a wooded path heading to the frontier, without further explanation.
Ukrainian military researcher Mykola Bielieskov told AFP that “Russian complacency prevailed”.
“Russia assumed that since it had initiative elsewhere, Ukraine wouldn’t dare to do things we’ve seen,” he said, referring to months of Russian advances along the front.
According to ISW estimates, Russian troops have conquered 1,360 square kilometers of Ukrainian land since the beginning of 2024.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to dislodge Ukrainian troops.
Putin stated in a televised meeting with officials on Monday that one of the obvious goals of the enemy is to sow discord and destroy the unity and cohesion of Russian society.
Putin also stated that Ukraine sought to improve its negotiating position in any future negotiations with Moscow.
Regional governor Alexei Smirnov stated at the same meeting that Ukrainian forces had advanced at least 12 kilometers into the territory, and the new front was now 40 kilometers broad.
Russia has recognized that Ukrainian military have infiltrated up to 30 kilometers (20 miles) into Russian territory in some instances.On condition of anonymity, a Ukrainian security official told AFP over the weekend that Ukraine aimed to stretch the enemy’s positions, inflict maximum losses, and destabilize the situation in Russia because they are unable to protect their own border.
Final Thoughts
The offer of peace tied to the cessation of cross-border raids suggests Ukraine is trying to frame itself as a rational actor seeking a peaceful resolution, while also showing that that it can strike within Russia’s borders. This could be a calculated effort to gain international support by appearing willing to negotiate, while still applying pressure on Russia.
This incursion could have several consequences. It may force Russia to strengthen its defenses along its own borders, potentially weakening its offensive capabilities in Ukraine.
Additionally, the incursion could increase domestic pressure on the Russian government, as the perception of vulnerability might lead to political and social unrest. Conversely, it could also rally Russian nationalism and lead to a hardening of Moscow’s stance, making a negotiated peace more difficult.
