Ukrainian flag raised over two villages of ‘gray zone’ in the Kharkiv region

7 September, 2023 A flag over a village in the Kharkiv region. September 2023. Ukraine.

Frame from the video of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Ukrainian border guards raised the Ukrainian flag over the villages of Stroivka and Topoli, Kharkiv region. The settlements are located in the so-called 'gray zone' on the border with Russia.

"Soldiers of the 'Steel Border' of the Offensive Guard raised the Ukrainian flag in the settlements of Stroivka and Topoli," the statement said. As the Ministry of Internal Affairs explained, the settlements are located on the border with Russia in the so-called 'gray zone'. "After the liberation of the Kharkiv region, it was dangerous to enter this territory because of mines, but now the border guards have paved the way and raised the flag of Ukraine," the military explained.

The villages of Stroivka and Topoli are located in the Kupiansk district of Kharkiv region. In particular, the village of Topoli is located on the right bank of the Oskil River, adjacent to the border with Russia, and the village of Stroivka is 4 km from the right bank of the Oskil River and 1 km from the border with Russia.

The village of Stroivka is 3 km away from the village of Topoli. As previously reported, during the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, they managed to liberate almost the entire Kharkiv region, including Kupiansk, and some territories in the east in a short time. On September 6, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that Russia was preparing to take revenge in eastern Ukraine.

According to him, near Kupiansk, the Russians are completing the training of assault units and are shelling Ukrainian positions with mortars and artillery every day.

Near Lyman, the aggressor continues to replace troops with units of the 25th Army, which are being redeployed from the territory of the Russian Federation.

As previously reported, in August, Russian infantry attacking in the direction of Synkivka was eliminated in the Kharkiv region.