Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that his troops now control 74 Russian settlements in the Kursk region as some 200,000 Russian civilians fled the area. A presidential adviser said the incursion into Russian territory is designed to push Moscow into talks. Read our liveblog to see how all the day's events unfolded.
Summary:
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Ukrainian troops have advanced over an area of 800 square kilometres (308 square miles) of Russian territory as of Monday, according to data from Russian sources and relayed by the Institute for the Study of War.
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Nearly 200,000 people have or are fleeing their homes in Russia, according to local officials. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said his troops now control 74 Russian settlements in the Kursk region.
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Ukraine is not interested in holding Russian territory, the foreign ministry told a press conference in Kyiv, adding: "The sooner Russia agrees to restore a just peace (...) the sooner raids by the Ukrainian defence forces into Russia will stop."
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Russia launched 38 attack drones and two Iskander-M ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said. Russia's defence ministry said its air defence units destroyed 12 Ukrainian drones over the Kursk region.
Yesterday's key developments:
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The United States is deeply concerned by reports that Iran is planning to deliver hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters on Monday. Patel warned of a "severe" US response if Iran moves forward with the transfer.
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The governor of Russia's Kursk region told President Vladimir Putin on Monday that 121,000 people have left or been evacuated from the front-line zone since Ukrainian troops and armour crossed the border early last week. Governor Alexei Smirnov said Ukraine now controls 28 settlements in the border province and that Kyiv's forces have advanced 12km (7.4 miles) into Russian territory.
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Ukrainians poured into the Kursk region from several directions early on on August 6, quickly overwhelming checkpoints and fortifications manned by lightly armed border guards and infantry along the 245km (152-mile) shared frontier.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
