 |
| Battle of Balakliia | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the 2022 Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | |||||||
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Russia |  Ukraine | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Roman Berdnikov [1] Aleksandr Lapin | Oleksandr Syrskyi [2] | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| PMC Redut [4] | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
The battle of Balakliia was part of the Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive that began on September 6, 2022.
During the early days of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces captured much of eastern Kharkiv Oblast, including the towns of Kupiansk, Shevchenkove, and Balakliia. [8] Balakliia itself was captured on March 3, 2022, without much of a fight. From March to early May, most of the fighting in Kharkiv Oblast was concentrated in the cities of Kharkiv and Izium. [9]
In early April, Russian forces captured Izium, and Ukrainian forces successfully defended Kharkiv by early May. [10] [11] After that, the frontline began to stagnate as Russia and Ukraine focused their efforts on the cities of Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk and the wider Donbas region. [12]
Throughout July and August 2022, Ukrainian and Russian media both amplified claims of a Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson Oblast, which finally culminated on August 29, 2022. [13] The counteroffensive saw slow progress, with Ukrainian forces suffering heavy losses and facing a stiff Russian resistance. [14] However, on September 6, Ukrainian forces launched a surprise counteroffensive in eastern Kharkiv oblast, with fighting for Balakliia beginning on the first day. [15]
On September 6, Ukrainian forces launched an offensive towards Balakliia, after having concentrated lots of forces near the area. [16] On the first day, they liberated Verbivka , a suburb northwest of Balakliia. [17] Russian forces stationed in Balakliia blew up bridges to slow the Ukrainian advance from Verbivka, although Ukrainian forces went around the town instead to besiege it. [16] Some Ukrainian forces stayed near Balakliia, fighting Russian forces in the center of the city while another group went north towards Volokhiv Yar. [18]
By September 7, Balakliia was under siege, with fighting taking place in the eastern and central parts of the city. [19] Fighting ended on September 8, with Ukrainian forces liberating all of Balakliia. [20] [ failed verification ]
During the days after the battle, Ukrainian forces liberated Kupiansk on September 9, [21] Izium on September 10, [22] and Velykyi Burluk and Vovchansk on September 12. [23] The counteroffensive stalled after September 12, as news teams, Ukrposhta, and other organizations were let into eastern Kharkiv oblast.[ citation needed ]
On September 14, Ukrainian police officers found evidence of a torture chamber that housed 40 civilians in the basement of the Balakliia police station. [24] The locals that remained in the city claimed that unlike other areas under Russian occupation like Bucha and Irpin, Russian occupation forces were generally much more tame in their treatment of civilians. [24]
Kharkiv Oblast, also referred to as Kharkivshchyna, is an oblast (province) in eastern Ukraine.
Izium or Izyum is a city on the Donets River in Kharkiv Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Izium Raion. Izium hosts the administration of Izium urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It is about 120 kilometres (75 mi) southeast of the administrative center of the oblast, Kharkiv.
Balakliia or Balakliya is a city in the Izium Raion, Kharkiv Oblast, eastern Ukraine, on the northeast side of the Siverskyi Donets River close to where it is joined by the Balakliika River, which runs through the town. It is an important railroad junction in the oblast. Balakliia hosts the administration of Balakliia urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: 26,334.
Kupiansk or Kupyansk is a city in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Kupiansk Raion. It is also an important railroad junction for the oblast. Kupiansk hosts the administration of Kupiansk urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It had a population of 26,627.
Shevchenkove is a rural settlement in Ukraine in Kupiansk Raion, Kharkiv Oblast. It hosts the administration of Shevchenkove settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: 6,627.
Borova is a rural settlement in Izium Raion, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Borova settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: 5,055.
Savyntsi is a rural settlement in Izium Raion of Kharkiv Oblast in Ukraine. It is located on the left bank of the Siverskyi Donets. Savyntsi hosts the administration of Savyntsi settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: 5,182.
Ukraine's easternmost oblasts, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv, are the site of a theatre of operation in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The battle of Izium was a military engagement between Russia and Ukraine that occurred as part of the eastern Ukraine offensive during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The battle started in March 2022 for control of the town of Izium due to the town's importance as a transportation node. The Russian military wanted to capture Izium so its forces in Kharkiv Oblast could link up with their troops in the Donbas region.
The Russian occupation of Kharkiv Oblast, officially the Kharkov Military–Civilian Administration, is an ongoing military occupation that began on 24 February 2022, after Russian forces invaded Ukraine and began capturing and occupying parts of Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. Russian forces failed to capture the capital city of the oblast, Kharkiv. However, other major cities including Izium, Kupiansk, and Balakliia were captured by Russian forces. As of November 2022, Russian forces only occupy a small portion of land in the Kharkiv Oblast.
The 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive was a major counteroffensive operation during the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began on 6 September 2022. Following the launch of the Kherson counteroffensive in southern Ukraine in late August, Ukrainian forces began a second counteroffensive in early September in Kharkiv Oblast, in Eastern Ukraine.
The battle of Kupiansk was a part of the Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive that began on 8 September 2022 and ended on 16 September 2022. A Financial Times article on 28 September depicted the battle and the Ukrainian advance preceding it as "The 90km journey that changed the course of the war in Ukraine."
On 15 September 2022, several mass graves, including one site containing at least 440 bodies, were found in woods near the Ukrainian city of Izium after it was recaptured by Ukrainian forces during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The graves contained bodies of people who were killed by Russian forces. The Ukrainian government believes that over 1,000 people were killed during the battle for and subsequent Russian occupation of Izium.
Nova Husarivka is a village in Izium Raion (district) in Kharkiv Oblast of eastern Ukraine, at about 74.2 kilometres (46.1 mi) south-east from the centre of Kharkiv city.
Since 19 September 2022, a military campaign has taken place along a 60-km frontline in western parts of Luhansk Oblast and far-eastern parts of Kharkiv Oblast amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Also known as the Svatove–Kreminna line or the Kupiansk–Svatove–Kreminna–Bilohorivka line after the major settlements along the front, the campaign began a day after the Ukrainian Army recaptured the nearby city of Lyman during the Kharkiv counteroffensive after of which the front line froze over the next few months.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Russo-Ukrainian War:
Verbivka is a village in Izium Raion (district) in Kharkiv Oblast of eastern Ukraine, at about 71.0 kilometres (44.1 mi) southeast by south (SEbS) from the centre of Kharkiv city. It belongs to Balakliia urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine.
Yakovenkove, also known as Iakovenkove, is a village in Izium Raion (district) in Kharkiv Oblast of eastern Ukraine, at about 71.5 kilometres (44.4 mi) southeast by east (SEbE) from the centre of Kharkiv city, at about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north-northeast (NNE) from the northern border of Balakliia (Balakliya).
Balakliia urban hromada is a hromada of Ukraine, located in Izium Raion, Kharkiv Oblast. Its administrative center is the city Balakliia.
Andriy Oleksandrovych Malakhov is a Ukrainian soldier, captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a participant of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
