Ukrainian troops have already liberated 3,000 sq km of territory since the beginning of September, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyy has said on Telegram.
"The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to liberate Russian-occupied territories. More than 3,000 sq km have been returned under Ukrainian control since the beginning of September. In the Kharkiv direction we have begun to advance not only to the south and east, but also to the north. We are 50 km away from reaching the state border," he said.
He explained that the capture of Russian troops' reinforced fortifications, which they proudly called "Moscow", "Omsk" and "Peter", allowed the Ukrainian army to launch a counteroffensive in the directions of Balakliya, Izyum and Kupyansk.
Earlier the Ukrainian General Staff said that the dismissal of population centres in Kupyansk and Izyum districts of Kharkiv Region continues.
According to the head of the Luhansk regional military administration, Serhiy Hayday, Russians and collaborators are fleeing Luhansk Region.