KYIV/ MOSCOW - The Ukrainian army has taken control of 92 settlements in western Russia's Kursk region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.

Ukrainian troops have seized more than 1,250 square kilometers of Russian territory, Zelensky said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

"The Russian border area opposite our Sumy region has been mostly cleared of Russian military presence," Zelensky said.

READ MORE: Russia says Ukraine used Western-made missiles to attack civilians in Kursk

The Ukrainian army continues its military operation in the designated areas of the Kursk region, he added.

Ukraine started a military operation in the Kursk region on Aug 6. On Aug 15, Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that his army had captured 82 settlements in the region.

Also on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin has asserted that there cannot be any talks with Ukraine after its attack on Russia's border Kursk region, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"The president made it very clear that following the attacks on the Kursk region, any talks are impossible", Lavrov said in an interview with local media.

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Meanwhile, he refuted some allegations that the two countries made contacts mediated by the third party, claiming them as pure rumors.

The top Russian diplomat also indicated that the entire process within the frames of the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland is unacceptable for Russia because "it is about promoting the Zelensky formula as an ultimatum."

Ukrainian forces are shifting their position to a different location in Russia's Kursk region, preparing for a fresh offensive, a Russian officer said on Monday.

The Russian military maintains its grip on the situation, reported Tass, citing Apty Alaudinov, deputy head of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Defense Ministry.

Most of the Ukrainian troops that attempted to move forward were neutralized, along with some of their weaponry, he was quoted as saying, adding that the remaining units are moving to a new area, presumably to launch an attack from a different angle.

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Meanwhile, the Russian Black Sea Fleet's marines claimed they have captured a sabotage and a group of 19 Ukrainian servicemen near the village of Olgovka in the Kursk Region, Russian security authorities told media on Monday.

One of the main goals of the Ukrainian operation in Russia's Kursk region is to create a buffer zone on the territory of Russia, Zelensky said on Sunday night.

Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Sunday that the air force had struck a second key bridge in the Kursk region. On Friday, Ukraine announced it had destroyed a bridge in the town of Glushkovo.

Ongoing evacuations

More than 121,000 civilians have been safely removed from nine border districts in the Kursk region, said Artyom Sharov, deputy spokesperson for the Emergencies Ministry, on Monday.

"Ever since the start of the evacuation process, we have successfully relocated over 121,000 individuals from the nine border districts. In just the last 24 hours, the number of people who have voluntarily left or were escorted in organized groups has exceeded 650," Sharov told a press conference.

ALSO READ: IAEA urges Ukraine, Russia to exercise restraint for nuclear safety in Kursk

The evacuation action is still going on, he added.

The displaced individuals are being directed to the care of their relatives or temporary shelters, he said, adding that 84 temporary shelters have been established in the Kursk region, providing refuge to over 6,500 individuals at this time.

According to him, a total of 120 temporary shelters are operating across 23 regions in Russia, housing about 3,000 people.

Meanwhile, 390 more temporary shelters, with a capacity to accommodate over 19,000 people, are prepared to receive the evacuees from the Kursk region in 57 different territories throughout Russia, he said.

A fuel and lubricants storage facility caught fire in Ukraine's western Ternopil region early Tuesday after a Russian strike, with initial information saying there were no casualties, the regional authorities said.

The projectile fired by Russian forces hit the storage depot in the city of Ternopil at about 3 am local time (about 2359 GMT), according to the Ternopil Regional Military Administration.

More than 90 rescuers and over 20 units of equipment, including two fire trains, worked at the site to put out the blaze. Local authorities urged people to stay inside their homes and close the windows.

READ MORE: Russia declares federal emergency in Kursk region

The Ukrainian capital also came under drone and cruise missile strike overnight, which brought no casualties, the Kyiv City Military Administration said, adding that all air targets were intercepted on the city's outskirts.

Russia fired 26 Shahed combat drones, two ballistic missiles Iskander M/KN-23, a cruise missile Iskander-K, and several guided missiles Kh-59 at Ukraine in an overnight attack, said the Ukrainian Air Force.

Ukrainian air defense shot down 25 drones, a cruise missile, and two guided missiles over nine regions, according to Interfax-Ukraine News Agency.