Ukraine announced on Tuesday that it has no intention of retaining Russian territory seized during its unexpected cross-border incursion and proposed halting raids if Moscow agreed to a 'just peace'. Ukrainian forces breached into Russia's Kursk region last week, capturing over two dozen settlements in the most significant foreign military assault on Russian soil since World War II. Russia reported on Tuesday that it had repelled fresh attacks in Kursk. Over 120,000 residents have evacuated the region, and Ukraine's military chief Oleksandr Syrsky revealed on Monday that his forces had taken control of approximately 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory. According to an analysis by AFP using data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War, at least 800 square kilometers were under Ukrainian control as of Monday. Foreign ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tykhy stated on Tuesday that Kyiv has no desire to 'take over' Russian territory and justified Ukraine's actions as 'absolutely legitimate'. 'The sooner Russia agrees to restore a just peace...the sooner the raids by the Ukrainian defense forces into Russia will cease,' he informed the press. Ukraine, in the meantime, declared it was implementing movement restrictions within a 20-kilometer zone in the Sumy region near the border with the Kursk region due to heightened hostilities and sabotage activities. Russia's defense ministry claimed it had 'thwarted' new Ukrainian attacks in Kursk by 'enemy mobile groups in armored vehicles attempting to penetrate deep into Russian territory'. Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia's FSB security service, also noted in a statement that Ukraine's attack was 'supported by the collective West'. Since initiating its invasion in February 2022, Russia has annexed territory in southern and eastern Ukraine and subjected Ukrainian cities to missile and drone attacks. Ukraine's cross-border offensive was the largest since the invasion and took Russia by surprise. 'They failed to secure the border,' a Ukrainian soldier involved in the offensive, who identified himself as Ruzhyk, commented in the Sumy region. 'They only had anti-personnel mines scattered around trees at the roadside and a few mines hastily placed along the highways,' he explained. A 27-year-old squad leader, who identified himself as Faraon, was succinct but direct in his account of the battles in Kursk. 'I witnessed a lot of death in the initial days. It was horrifying at first but we adapted,' he recounted. 'There have been many fatalities,' he reiterated, standing near a forest road leading to the frontier. Ukrainian military analyst Mykola Bielieskov commented: 'Russian complacency prevailed'. 'Russia believed that since it had the upper hand elsewhere, Ukraine wouldn't dare to act as we've witnessed,' he said, referring to Russia's prolonged advances along the front. ISW figures also indicated that Russian forces had seized 1,360 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory since the beginning of 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to 'expel' Ukrainian troops. Putin stated in a televised meeting with officials on Monday that 'one of the evident goals of the enemy is to sow discord' and 'undermine the unity and cohesion of Russian society'. Putin also noted that Ukraine aimed to 'enhance its negotiating stance' for any future discussions with Moscow. Regional governor Alexei Smirnov reported at the same meeting that Ukrainian forces had penetrated at least 12 kilometers into the region, with the new front now spanning 40 kilometers. Russia had previously acknowledged that Ukrainian forces had breached up to 30 kilometers into Russian territory in certain areas. A Ukrainian security official disclosed over the weekend that Ukraine aimed to 'extend the enemy's positions, inflict maximum damage, and destabilize the situation in Russia as they are incapable of securing their own border'. The Ukrainian official confirmed that thousands of Ukrainian troops were engaged in the operation.