Ukrainian flag raised over Balakliya after surprise Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kharkiv Oblast

Accompanying comments with the video warn that the city is has not yet been swept for remnants of Russian troops, and that civilians are advised to remain indoors for the time being.

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While official Ukrainian sources remain tight-lipped on any details of Ukraine’s counter-offensive operations, overwhelming evidence from open sources suggests the Russian garrison in Balakliya was surrounded and overrun by Ukrainian forces.

The liberation of Balakliya clears the way to nearby Kupiansk, which, in turn, would allow Kyiv to threaten Russia’s major logistical node at Izyum.

In recent days, Ukraine has launched counter-offensive operations in Kherson and Kharkiv oblasts, recapturing at least 400 square kilometers of land in two days.

Military experts agree that the pace of the Ukrainian advance has caught Russian forces in Kharkiv Oblast off-guard, prompting them to retreat in haste, abandoning much of their military equipment.

Read also: Ukrainian military shares details of counter-offensive in south of Ukraine

Russian occupation authorities in Kherson Oblast recently announced they are putting a planned illegal annexation referendum “on hold, due to the deteriorating security situation.”

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine