Counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast, new Russian attacks: highlights of the day

The Armed Forces of Ukraine continued to liberate the partly occupied Kharkiv Oblast, as the Russian army keeps indiscriminately shelling Ukrainian cities and villages. Here are the major news from today.

Counter-offensive in Kharkiv Oblast

Ukrainian military confirmed that they liberated Volokhiv Yar village in Kharkiv Oblast from Russian troops. They also managed to detain a collaborator – the occupation head of the administration of the village of Ivanivka, not far from Volokhiv Yar. Ukrainian intelligence reports considerable problems among the Russian military: some enemy soldiers are even trying to make their way back to Russian territory.

New photos and videos of the advance deeper into the region are published on social meia, but there is no official confirmation of the liberation of new territories yet. Against the backdrop of a successful counteroffensive, Russia is redeploying some personnel and armored vehicles to the Kharkiv axis.

Shelling of Ukraine

On September 9, the Russian occupation forces conducted more than 12 rocket and over 12 air strikes on the territory of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. Up to 40 flights were conducted for this purpose. In Velyka Pysarivka, Sumy Oblast, alone eight people were injured: several buildings were damaged there, and the roof of the local hospital was completely destroyed.

In addition, the Russians shelled Kharkiv with multiple rocket launchers. As a result of the strike, several buildings in the city were damaged, including a school, and a fire broke out in a kindergarten. There are at least 14 wounded, including three children.

5 billion euros from the EU

The Council of the European Union approved the allocation of 5 billion euros of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine. The new loan will be used for the usual operation of the state and ensuring the functioning of critical infrastructure, such as offices, schools and hospitals.

How much will the reconstruction cost?

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the European Commission, and the World Bank have calculated that Ukraine already needs $349 billion for recovery and reconstruction. It seems that this amount will continue to grow, if the hostilities do not come to a close.

Over the next 36 months alone, Ukraine will need $105 billion. This money should go to meet urgent needs such as rebuilding education and healthcare infrastructure, preparing for winter, supporting agriculture, and repairing important transport routes.

Reparations from Russia

Minister of Justice of Ukraine Denys Malyuska said that Ukraine will demand at least $300 billion in reparations from Russia for the damage caused by the invasion. The Ministry of Justice is currently working on a resolution to establish a compensation fund.

Ukraine wants the UN General Assembly in October to adopt a resolution on the creation of a fund to compensate for the damage caused to the country. This requires support from at least two-thirds of the countries present. After that, the Ukrainian authorities want to negotiate with foreign governments on the development and ratification of an international treaty.

Visa restrictions for Russians

The Council of the European Union has decided to completely suspend the visa facilitation agreement with Russia. The decision is to be published in the Official Journal of the EU on September 9. It comes into force from the date of adoption and will be applied from September 12.

In practice, Russians who want to obtain an EU visa will face a higher visa fee, will have to provide more paperwork, and the processing time for visa applications will increase. Stricter rules for multiple-entry visas will also be introduced. In particular, applicants will no longer have easy access to visas valid for multiple entries to the Schengen area.

New guests in Kyiv

Latvian President Egils Levits and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki arrived in Kyiv. In the Ukrainian capital, they met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The politicians discussed countering Russian aggression and Ukraine's future rapprochement with the European Union.

In addition, Morawiecki promised that Poland would open additional border crossing points for trucks. This decision was made after the relevant request of Ukraine, because Kyiv loses millions of hryvnias every day because of the long lines at the border.

Russian military losses

In the morning, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Ukrainian military killed about 650 Russian soldiers on September 8, and since the beginning of the full-scale war this number stands at 51,900. Also, the occupiers lost 10 tanks, 18 armored combat vehicles, 11 artillery systems, 55 units of vehicles or tankers, as well as other equipment over the past day.

On September 8, the Russians suffered the biggest losses in the Kharkiv and Donetsk sectors.