Regional governor explains next steps after liberation of Kharkiv Oblast

According to him, now the de-occupied settlements are being cleaned up, the Ukrainian police and other services are returning there, the work of the public authorities is resuming, and aid is being provided to the population.

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

Synegubov stressed that the Ukrainian military was making progress on the Balakliya axis and "other axes, but it is too early to talk about it now".

The official also called on residents of the city of Kharkiv and its surrounding oblast to be extremely cautious, as the Russian invasion forces have intensified shelling of settlements as a reaction to the success of the Ukrainian military on the battlefield.

Read also: Over 40% of Russian mercenaries in Kharkiv Oblast seriously wounded or killed, says General Staff

Earlier, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that the Ukrainian army had used tactical surprise to recapture approximately 400 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory on Sept. 6-7. ISW described the counter-attacks of Ukrainian forces in the area of Izyum and Balakliya as "local, but very effective."

The General Staff confirmed that the Ukrainian army had liberated more than 20 settlements in Kharkiv Oblast and penetrated 50 kilometers behind the former Russian front line.

Read also: Ukraine recaptures 400 square kilometers in Kharkiv Oblast, ISW report says

It was not officially specified which settlements were liberated, but, according to open sources, Ukrainian forces have raised the flag of Ukraine in Balakliya, Verkhovyi Yar, Ivanivka, Borshchivka, and Shevchenkove.

On the evening of Sept. 8, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the liberation of Balakliya.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine