Ukraine has said it has no intention of permanently seizing parts of the Kursk Oblast, a week on from its surprise incursion into the region in southwestern Russia, Newsweek reports.
"Ukraine is not interested in taking territory in the Kursk region, we want to protect the lives of our people," Ukrainian foreign affairs spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on Tuesday.
Tykhyi said that Ukraine's incursion would have been "less necessary" if Kyiv had been allowed to utilize long-range capabilities supplied by the U.S., which are currently off limits because of a U.S. stipulation not to use such weapons to attack deep into Russian territory.
"If Ukraine could strike the enemy troops on their territory, from where they threaten Ukraine, then Ukraine would be in a much better position to protect itself," Tykhy said.
He said that Kyiv is achieving "relevant goals" in the Kursk region and that its operation had complicated Russia's logistics and allowed its forces to transfer additional units to the front line in Ukraine's Donetsk region.
