But this is not an occupation, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoljak told NBC News in an interview.
“There is a big difference between this war and the kind of war Russia is leading,” Podoljak said Thursday. “Ukraine is going into the war with a completely different goal.”
One of these, Podolyakh said, was the destruction of Russian military infrastructure that was being used to launch attacks across the border into the Ukrainian regions of Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv.
“Ukraine has no intention of occupying the region. This is temporary,” he added.
Asked whether Ukraine was keeping in mind humanitarian considerations for Russians currently living under its control, Podoljak promised that Kyiv would ensure that local residents who have not yet evacuated have access to medicines, food and drinking water.
He denied that Ukraine had plans to seize the Kursk nuclear power plant, a move Russian officials have suggested is close to where fighting is currently taking place.
If the Kremlin’s emergency defenses fail to repel the Ukrainian forces, Podoljak said Ukrainian forces would remain inside Russia “as long as necessary” to achieve Kiev’s objectives, but declined to reveal specific plans as the incursion is still ongoing.
He added that Ukraine is showing the world that Moscow does not control its territory and that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s so-called “red lines” do not exist.
Ukrainian military drone pilots prepare a reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle near the border with Russia on Sunday. Roman Pilipei/AFP – Getty Images File
Russian leaders have frequently warned they would use nuclear weapons if their country’s sovereignty was violated, but National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that the United States had not heard any escalating nuclear talk from Putin in the days since the invasion.
In an angry speech earlier this week, Putin said Ukraine had launched “provocations” as a way to improve its position in future peace talks.
Asked whether the Kursk region could be a bargaining chip for Ukraine in future peace talks, Podoljak said that under international law, there can be no exchange of territory between nations. “Russia does not want any negotiations. It is giving us an ultimatum,” he added. But on Friday, Kiev must come to the negotiating table with Russia, but on “its own terms,” he added.
Another senior Ukrainian government adviser, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told NBC News that the concept of a Kursk-like raid had been under consideration for more than a year.
One of the main objectives of the operation is to divert Russian military efforts and attention from other parts of the 600-mile front, particularly in the east, where Russian forces are chipping away at Ukraine’s defenses, the advisers said.
