Key facts
- Lasiychuk said Russia aims to impose a logistical blockade before bypassing Zaporizhzhia from the north toward Dnipro.
- About 50,000 Russian troops are deployed in the Huliaipole direction, Lasiychuk said, and the blockade's initial stage is underway.
- Lasiychuk said losing Zaporizhzhia would be comparable to losing Donbas.
- DeepState territorial data cited by Visua put Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast at around 75%.
Russian forces are striking bridges and dams with guided aerial bombs as part of efforts to impose a logistical blockade on Zaporizhzhia, the commander of Ukraine's 7th Air Assault Corps, Yevhen Lasiychuk, said in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda published on November 10, 2026.
Lasiychuk said the threat to Zaporizhzhia is developing along two axes: the Orikhiv direction from the south and the Huliaipole direction from the east. He said around 50,000 Russian troops were deployed in the Huliaipole direction, Russian activity was increasing, and the initial stage of the blockade was already underway.
The 7th Air Assault Corps reported on November 8 that Russian assaults in the sector had tripled in October compared with September. Lasiychuk said Russia may be seeking to open another axis of advance in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, potentially forcing Kyiv to divert troops from Donetsk Oblast, where he said Russia has struggled to advance against Ukraine's heavily fortified cities.
According to Lasiychuk, Russia wanted to establish a logistical blockade before bypassing Zaporizhzhia from the north and advancing toward Dnipro, another major city in southeastern Ukraine. He warned that losing Zaporizhzhia would be comparable to losing Donbas.
DeepState territorial data cited by Visua put Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast at around 75%.