Ukrainian troops have liberated 1,000 square kilometers of territory and recaptured dozens of settlements during a counterattack against Russia, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said in an evening video address. He also published a video showing the Ukrainian military hoisting the Ukrainian flag on the roof of a building in Balakliia.
On September 8, it was reported that the AFU entered Balakliia, in one of the videos the troops are driving through the city center. The liberation of Balakleya plays an important role in the further advance of Ukrainian troops eastward towards Kupyansk and the encirclement of the grouping of Russian troops stationed near Izyum. According to military expert Roman Svitan, it was from Balakliia that the Russian grouping in Izyum was planning an offensive to the south or southwest to cut off Slavyansk from supplies. In fact, Balakliia is a transport hub, which will make it possible to liberate the entire Kharkiv Region and disrupt the Russian offensive on Bakhmut.