Ukraine: Months after Russian tanks stormed the Ukrainian city of Izyum, the country's blue and yellow flag was once again flown over a lit city hall.
The only place in town with a signal is on a hill, where enthusiastic locals run to call loved ones and share the good news left by the Russians.
Ukrainian troops liberated the eastern city over the weekend as the army reclaimed large areas of land, as part of their quick counter-offensive to repulse the invading Russian troops on 24 February.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its position analysis on Sunday that the liberation of Izium "will be the most significant Ukrainian military achievement since winning the Battle of Kyiv in March."
The sight of Ukrainian soldiers stirred up intense feelings among some Izium residents. Tears welled up in our eyes as soon as we welcomed them. Nadia Nesolena, 61, says, "We have been waiting for him for months and we are very happy.
Izium, a city in the Kharkiv region with 50,000 inhabitants before the war, was completely occupied by Russian forces from April and developed into an important logistics center for Moscow.
Under the Russians, Nadia recalls, life in the city was "very difficult", with constant shelling, cold and hunger. However, she claims she was among the lucky few, "lucky to have a house with a cellar and some food."
In Izium, evidence of Russian occupation is everywhere. White plumes of smoke rose over the city's roofs as Russian troops fled on Saturday, sparked by an ongoing fire at an ammunition depot.
The City Hall in Izium, now triumphantly embellished with the Ukrainian flag, bears the same battle scars as many other structures in the city: houses, apartment buildings, shops, two bridges, schools and religious structures were destroyed. Gave.
Huge signboards with Russian flags reading "We are Russia, one United Nations" can still be seen across the city. Ukrainian troops have yet to eliminate them as they are too busy securing the area.
Yuri Kurotska, 64, is delighted that his city is back in Ukraine's hands as he stands on the hill near the cell tower.
He said that all negative things have an end. When Russian troops first entered Kyiv in March, he was attempting to contact his family, who had already left for the city. "Please don't ever leave, don't hand us those Russians," Yuri urges the Ukrainian military.
Grigory Pivovar, 61, tells the story of how soldiers suffered when he and his 16-year-old son, Kirlo, walking through a nearly deserted town, arrived in Isiam on Sunday. "We were both crying. We were overjoyed to see that our men had arrived. Says Grigory. We didn't expect it to happen so soon.
But not everyone welcomed the Ukrainian troops back. Many locals claim that even before the Russian troops left, their pro-Russian neighbors traveled along the road east of Moscow-controlled. According to Moscow, several thousand people have entered Russia from the Kharkiv region.
On Monday, Ukrainian military trucks were carrying abandoned Russian armored vehicles near Izium. Ukrainian army convoys moved through the area as infantrymen were camping in or outside the city. Along the road, there were several broken Russian cars with the letter "Z"—the symbol of the attack—embellished on them.
Burnt trees, craters, shrapnel and unexploded bombs completed the scene with them. Soldiers collect Russian ammunition in a recently liberated small town near Izium.
A soldier nicknamed "Tank", who is busy securing the bombs left behind, laughs, "We are definitely planning to send all this ammunition back to them as an air gift."
Russian food is also available, but Tank mocked his group, saying, "They won't eat it, it's not good." Tank and his allies arrived in the early hours of Sunday to conduct a demining operation and neutralize the traps they claimed were left behind by Russian troops.
A second group of soldiers passes and announces that they must return later as they have discovered a T72 Russian tank near the village exit, but it is currently without power.
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