Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov confirmed on Sept. 27 that the Ukrainian army had crossed the Oskil River, slashing Russian defenses.

The liberation of Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi leaves just below six percent of Kharkiv Oblast occupied by Russia, Syniehubov said on TV.

Reclaiming the village allows Ukraine to get a foothold on the eastern side of the Oskil River, where fighting continues. Since the start of the Kharkiv counteroffensive, Ukraine liberated 454 settlements across the region, Deputy Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said during a briefing on Sept. 27.