Kursky Uyezd

A Ukrainian soldier walks past at a city centre in Sudzha, Kursk region, Russia, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. This image was approved by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry before publication.(AP photo)

The Kremlin on Monday ruled out entering peace talks with Ukraine over Kiev's surprise offensive into Russian territory, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said was meeting its goals.

The United Nations rights office said on Thursday that it has asked Moscow to allow it to visit Russian border regions affected by a cross-border attack by Ukrainian forces.

In a significant development, Ukrainian forces have captured over 100 Russian soldiers in the Kursk region, marking the largest-scale surrender of Russian troops since the onset of the conflict with Ukraine.

Ukrainian servicemen operate an armoured military vehicle on a road near the border with Russia, in the Sumy region of Ukraine, on August 14, 2024.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Ukrainian troops had "advanced well" in Russia's Kursk region, as Kiev's biggest cross-border attack stretched into a second week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday his troops were "moving further" into Russia, as Kiev's biggest ever cross-border attack stretched into a second week.

The Ukrainian army entered Russia's Kursk region on Aug. 6, capturing dozens of settlements in the biggest offensive by a foreign army on Russian soil since World War II.

Ukraine said Tuesday 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."

In this photo taken from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, a column of the Russian Armed Forces move to build up forces conducting active combat operations with Ukrainian formations in the Sudzhansky district of ​​Kursk region of Russia.

Russian authorities have implemented a counter-terrorist operation regime in the Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod regions due to an elevated threat of sabotage and terrorism linked to Ukraine. These regions, which border Ukraine, have seen increased concerns over security as Ukrainian forces advance in the Kursk region.

The Kursk region and surrounding areas along the Russian-Ukrainian border have remained on high alert for the third day following an invasion by Ukrainian forces, who, according to sources, have penetrated up to 10 kilometers into Russian territory.

On August 6, reports emerged of Ukrainian forces crossing into the Kursk Region, suggesting a significant incursion rather than a typical sabotage attempt. Throughout the day, armed groups reportedly broke through in several directions, sparking intense fighting in the border area.