Russian forces have reportedly broken through to the center of the city of Huliaipole in Ukraine’s Zaphorizhia region, placing another strategically important urban center on the verge of capture as pressure mounts along the southern front.
On Friday, multiple reports emerged stating that Russian units had reached central districts of Huliaipole after crossing the Haichur River, which runs through the city and has served as a natural defensive barrier for Ukrainian forces. Videos circulating on social media appear to show small groups of Russian soldiers operating near the city center, lending credence to claims of a breakthrough.
Huliaipole has served as a critical anchor of Ukraine’s defensive line in the Zaphorizhia region since April 2022, when front lines largely stabilized following Russia’s initial advance earlier that year. Its fortified positions have helped prevent Russian forces from pushing north toward the regional capital and west toward Orikhiv.
The city also carries historical significance within Russia, having been the site of a major battle during the Russian Civil War following the Bolsheviks’ rise to power, adding symbolic weight to its potential capture.
If Huliaipole falls, it would mark the third strategically vital city to be taken by Russian forces in the past month, and the second in as many weeks following the reported capture of Seversk earlier this week. Such a development would further underscore the deteriorating situation for Ukrainian defenses across multiple fronts.
The loss of Huliaipole would open the way for a deeper Russian advance toward Zaphorizhia city itself, while also creating the conditions to outflank Orikhiv, which lies roughly 35 kilometers to the southwest and forms the other pillar of Ukraine’s defensive posture in the region.
Aside from Ukraine’s failed 2023 summer offensive, the Zaphorizhia front had remained largely static since the spring of 2022. That dynamic began to shift after Russian forces captured Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region in January, enabling a push into parts of Dnipropetrovsk and northeastern Zaphorizhia. This maneuver effectively outflanked Huliaipole, allowing Russian units to approach the city from the northeast several weeks ago.
Ukrainian military channels have denied claims of a major breakthrough, insisting that only small Russian reconnaissance groups have entered the city. Similar statements were previously issued during the Russian advance on Pokrovsk. Kiev has also continued to deny the fall of Seversk, dismissing videos showing Russian troops in central areas as fabricated.