Seven months into war, Ukraine regains Kharkiv, raises flags on towns occupied by Russia

Ukraine has claimed that it has regained control of the Kharkiv region and reclaimed areas seized by Moscow on the first day of the military invasion by Vladimir Putin, The Guardian reported.

A video published by Ukraine’s state border guard service showed the Ukrainian military in Vovchansk, a recently liberated city in Kharkiv Oblast less than 20 kilometers away from the Ukrainian-Russian border on September 13, Tuesday.

Ukrainian soldiers raised flags on towns and villages after regaining control of these regions which were occupied by Russia for six months. After consolidating its control of the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian soldiers hold the national flag aloft on a rooftop and also in the keytown of Kreminna.

Ukraine has made major territorial gains, especially in the city of Kharkiv and Russian forces have left the area.

Reports suggested that Russian intelligence officers and military commanders had begun to evacuate from Crimea in the wake of recent defeats. Ukrainian forces took over Izyum and Kupiansk, both in the Kharkiv region, which are key hubs for the supply of Russian forces in Donbas, the BBC reported.

Here are the top developments of the story:

-Ukrainian forces have recaptured more than 6,000 square kilometers (2,300 square miles) in the east and south of the country so far this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said .Ukraine is in full control of more than 4,000 square km (1,500 square miles) of territory recaptured from Russian forces and is stabilising another 4,000 square km, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an address on Tuesday.

-According to Zelenskiy, Balakliya, one of the areas which has been recaptured, residents are now receiving five months’ worth of pension payments. The president also issued a call for bilateral and multilateral agreements with international states to protect Ukraine’s future sovereignity.

-Russian troops have started retreating, which is seen by many analysts as a very significant Ukrainian success. Ukrainian troops have recaptured dozens of towns in a stunning shift in battleground momentum. Russia has largely ceded its gains near Kharkiv and many of the withdrawing Russian soldiers have exited Ukraine, a senior U.S. military official said.

–Moscow has abandoned its main bastion in the northeast region on Saturday, reported Reuters. This is seen as Russia’s worst defeat since the onset of the invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far been silent on military setback and is under pressure from nationalists at home to regain the initiative.

-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Tuesday to find a diplomatic solution for the conflict in Ukraine based on a ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Russian troops as soon as possible, a German government spokesperson told Reuters.

-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that it was still early days in Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces, but Ukrainian forces have made “significant progress.” The United States is likely to announce a new military aid package for Ukraine in “coming days,” the White House said.