The city of Balakliya in the Kharkiv region spent 192 days under Russian occupation. Russian troops seized it in early March 2022.
People say that occupants didn’t allow them to roam the streets freely. They had to live in cellars because of shelling attacks.
The occupants tried to force teachers to start using the Russian curriculum from September 1. Only a few agreed to cooperate.
According to the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, mayor Ivan Stolbovyi agreed to cooperate with Russia and left the city – for Russia.
Balakliya became the city from where the Ukrainian defence’s great counter-offensive started in the Kharkiv region. On September 8, 2022, a Ukrainian flag was raised here. President Zelenskyy stated that Balakliya was free from Russian occupants.
The city is now gradually recovering despite the threat of missile and artillery strikes. Humanitarian aid is delivered here, and mobile phone signal is now available. Ukrzaliznytsia has reinstated the Kharkiv-Balakliya railway service.
