Ukraine Invades Russian Territory to Stop Shelling from Across the Border - Zelenskyy
Kyiv's invasion of Russian territory is aimed at stopping Moscow's forces from shelling Ukraine from across the border and capturing prisoners of war.
This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his address.
He said that Ukraine is targeting "the areas from which the Russian army strikes at our Sumy", adding that since 1 June, almost 2,100 shells have been fired from Russia's Kursk region. "That is why our operations are purely a matter of Ukraine's security - liberation of the border zone from the Russian military."
"It is fair to destroy Russian terrorists where they are, where they strike," Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine's strategy would also "replenish" the "exchange fund" of prisoners of war and enable Kyiv to "to return all of ours from Russian captivity."
US Senators Lindsey Graham (Republican) and Richard Blumenthal (Democrat) supported Kyiv's move to improve its bargaining position as Russian leader Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its third year.
"Ukraine's decision to go on the offensive in Russia's Kursk region was bold and brilliant," the two senators said in a statement released after their trip to Ukraine and meeting with Zelensky on Monday.
They noted that "the tide of war has turned against Putin and his cronies."