Zelensky Thanks Brigades Amid Reports of Gains in Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked three brigades involved in counteroffensive operations in Ukraine’s Kharkiv Oblast on Wednesday, September 7, amid reports of Ukrainian gains.

In his nightly address, Zelensky said it was “right” for Ukrainians to feel pride for the “good news” coming out of the Kharkiv region.

“Now is not the time to name the settlements to which the Ukrainian flag returns,” Zelensky said. “But it’s time to say thank you to the 25th Airbourne Brigade, the 92nd Seperate Mechanized Brigade and the 80th Airbourne Assault Brigade for their bravery heroism shown during combat missions.”

The president also singled out two other brigades for efforts elsewhere in the country, saying that every military success shifts the “general situation along the entire frontline in favor of Ukraine.”

Footage shared earlier by a National Guard brigade shows soldiers lowering the red flag of the Soviet Union in the village of Nova Husarivka, south of Balaklia, Kharkiv Oblast.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which provides regular detailed updates on the conflict, had not confirmed the recapture of the village. However, the Balaklia City Council said on Wednesday it was waiting for official confirmation that some settlements in the area had been retaken by Ukrainian forces and urged residents to maintain “informational silence” amid ongoing fighting in the city.

Kharkiv Oblast has seen sustained heavy fighting since the early days of Russia’s invasion in February, with the regional capital Kharkiv regularly experiencing shelling. Credit: Volodymyr Zelensky via Storyful