Ukraine races to defend a key Zaporizhzhia stronghold as a second Russian offensive gathers force in Donbas. Meduza analyzes the latest battlefield developments.

By Meduza

Like Meduza’s earlier reports on the combat situation in Ukraine, this article reviews recent battlefield developments based on open-source information. Meduza has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the outset, and their military analyses reflect their commitment to objective reporting on a war they firmly oppose.

Key updates as of February 11, 2026

Fresh off its gains in Kupyansk, where Ukrainian forces retook almost half of the city west of the Oskil River, Kyiv’s military command is now attempting to stop another Russian advance in the eastern part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. However, this will be far more difficult.

Russia’s “Vostok” contingent, formed from forces of the Eastern Military District, has been advancing for more than a year and a half, capturing more territory than any other Russian formation. Its units have seized a series of Ukrainian strongholds one after another: Vuhledar, Velyka Novosilka, and Huliaipole.

Ukraine has pulled together reserves from several assault regiments to counter the advance, with the goal of at least slowing the Vostok contingent in the Haichur River valley. Russian forces hope to break through from there into the central part of the Zaporizhzhia region and reach another major fortified town, Orikhiv.

For Ukraine, there are two key challenges: Vostok’s manpower advantage and time. The Ukrainian command may soon have to shift its attention to central Donbas, where Russian troops have begun an offensive toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

Huliaipole and the Haichur River

Map created by Meduza based exclusively on open-source photos and videos, most of them posted by eyewitnesses on social media. Meduza’s team collects available evidence and determines its geolocation markers, adding only the photos and videos that clear this process. Meduza doesn’t try to track the conflict in real time; the data reflected on the map are typically at least 48 hours old.

Russian forces that crossed the Haichur River near Huliaipole are now trying to widen their bridgehead. The command of the “Vostok” contingent is repeating its usual practice: advancing from the east along the section of the Ukrainian front that faces south. This allows Russian troops to keep attacking Ukrainian units from two directions at once, threatening them with encirclement.

In recent days, Ukraine has attempted counterattacks with mechanized columns southwest of Huliaipole, an area where Russian troops had been advancing rapidly. The outcome of those counterattacks is unclear, aside from open-source videos showing Ukrainian equipment losses.

Northwest of Huliaipole, the picture is clearer: Ukraine has not yet managed to halt the Russian advance. Russian forces have seized part of the village of Zaliznychne and have broken through a defensive line running along the Polohy–Pokrovske railway.

Ukrainian attacks on another Russian bridgehead on the Haichur — this one north of Zaliznychne, near the village of Ternuvate — have been more successful. Despite losing equipment, Ukrainian assault troops managed to regain a foothold in the village, which Russian forces had captured only a week earlier.

Ukrainian troops are advancing not only on the Haichur’s western bank but also on its eastern side. During their earlier withdrawal, they held onto a small position near the village of Dobropillia. From that bridgehead, Ukrainian infantry has managed to infiltrate deep into the rear of Russian positions.