Ukraine continues to press its incursion into Russia’s border region of Kursk and now controls hundreds of square kilometers of territory, but its action is meant to create a buffer zone and not to acquire or occupy Russian lands, the Ukrainian leadership has said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on August 19 announced that Ukrainian forces hade taken control of 92 settlements in the Kursk region of Russia and now control more than 1,250 square kilometers of enemy territory in the nearly two weeks since the start of the surprise cross-border incursion.

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Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces were fulfilling their objectives while pressing their incursion into Kursk as Moscow acknowledged that Ukraine has damaged a third bridge over the River Seym critical to Russian troop movements in the region.

But one of Zelenskiy’s senior advisers, Mykhaylo Podolyak, told Current Time that unlike Russia’s unprovoked invasion of his country, Ukraine’s operation has a clear scope that is adhering to international legislation and protects the civilian population.

“Ukraine does not intend to seize populated areas or occupy this territory,” Podolyak said on August 19.

“This is a different type of war, a war that is clearly spelled out in international law and in conventions that regulate behavior toward combatants and especially toward noncombatants, toward the civilian population on this territory.”

Ukraine launched its surprise counteroffensive into Russia’s Kursk region on August 6, altering the dynamics of the 2 1/2-year war and causing 120,000 people to flee.

Zelenskiy on August 18 said Ukraine’s main task is “to destroy as much Russian potential as possible and conduct maximum counterattack work,” with the aim of creating a “buffer zone.”

Podolyak clarified the need for such a zone, telling Current Time that Moscow has been using border areas to strike civilian infrastructure up to 70-80 kilometers inside Ukraine.

“Along the border, including in the Kursk region, artillery is deployed 1 or 2 kilometers from the state border, ballistic launchers are deployed, multiple-launch rocket systems are deployed,” he said.

“Take [Ukraine’s] Sumy region, located just opposite Kursk region. About 500-600 shellings were carried out daily targeting the territory of the Sumy region. Squeezing out Russian weapons to a depth of 100 kilometers will already make it possible to protect the civilian population in the Ukrainian border area, for example in the Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions.”

Referring to the civilian population that remains in the territory now under Ukrainian military’s control, Podolyak said Kyiv is fulfilling all the requirements of international humanitarian legislation.

“We keep a register of civilians. International law very strictly requires that you bear actual responsibility for residents, citizens, and noncombatants. International humanitarian law clearly spells out your responsibility in the zone of actual control if there is military action there. Of course, registers will be compiled, our guys are looking at who is there, who needs to be sent where, and so on.”

On August 19, Zelenskiy again pushed for permission from Ukraine’s allies to use long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.

“Ukraine is separated from halting the advance of the Russian Army on the front by only one decision we await from our partners: the decision on long-range capabilities,” he said.

The United States and other allies of Ukraine have placed restrictions on the use of the weapons over concerns that it could escalate the war.

Podolyak, however, said such an escalation would only occur if Ukraine acted in a similar way to Russia and struck civilian areas, which would put Kyiv morally on the same footing as Moscow.

“There is definitely no point in striking big cities or populated areas as such. This will not solve any problem and would equalize Ukraine and Russia in the type of warfare, which is absolutely pointless,” Podolyak said. “Once again, Ukraine is waging war in a completely different way, and again, it makes no sense to destroy civilian objects. It makes sense to destroy only military infrastructure.”

However, the United States, Ukraine’s main ally and supplier of modern weapons systems, remains opposed for the time being to allowing Ukraine to use long-range western arms to strike deeper inside Russia.

“I will say that our policy has not changed. I just don’t have anything to add to that,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in response to a question on the subject on August 19.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian air-defense systems repelled a missile strike on Kyiv early on August 20, the fifth missile attack by Russia’s military on the Ukrainian capital this month, the air force reported.

According to early assessments, there were no casualties or damage, the air force added.

The military said the wave of Iskander K cruise missiles was preceded just hours earlier by drone strikes.

Elswhere, a large fire broke out in the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, regional officials said, urging people to remain inside.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.