Kyiv

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy said on Tuesday (Sep 3) that his country was planning to indefinitely hold Russian territory it had seized during the surprise Kursk invasion last month.

"We don’t need their land. We don’t want to bring our Ukrainian way of life there," President Zelensky told NBC News. He added that Ukraine would hold the territory as it was integral to his "victory plan" to end the war which has been going on since late February 2022.

Also read | Ukraine war: Russian missile strikes in Poltava kill 51, injure 235, says Kyiv

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The Ukrainian president further said that he would present the proposal to international partners like the United States (US).

The Kursk invasion 

On August 6, the Ukrainian military launched a major cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region. The military claimed that it reached up to nearly 1,300 square kilometres deep into the Russian region. It also took hundreds of Russian prisoners of war. 

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Ukraine said that the incursion, arguably its boldest move in the war, was designed to protect its border settlements from constant Russian strikes.

Russia called the incursion a "major provocation" and said it would retaliate.

'Biden admin was not aware of operation'

During the interview with NBC News, Zelensky said that US President Joe Biden's administration was not aware of Kyiv's Kursk invasion, and it was kept as a closely guarded secret even inside Ukraine.

Also watch | WION Pulse: Ukraine war- UK, Germany condemn Russian strikes on Poltava

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Zelensky also said he couldn't discuss whether Ukraine planned to try and seize more Russian territory.

“I will not tell, I’m sorry, I can’t speak about it. It’s like the beginning of our, this, Kursk operation," he added.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos

(With inputs from agencies)