[3] On 22 June 1941, at the start of Operation Barbarossa, Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II, Lizyukov's 17th Mechanized Corps was stationed near Slonim, and was opposed by the German Army Group Center.

[2] On 26 June 1941, Colonel Lizyukov arrived in Borisov, where he participated in the defense of the city until 8 July 1941, and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for courage and bravery.

In early August 1941, after the death of Major General of Tank Forces Ilya Alekseyenko on 2 August 1941, Colonel Lizyukov took command of the remnants of 5th Mechanized Corps, and held open the narrow Solov'evo and Ratchino corridors across the Dnieper river south of Iartsevo during the Battle of Smolensk (1941), allowing elements of the 16th Army and 20th Army to escape encirclement.

[1] In August 1941, Colonel Lizyukov took command of the 1st Moscow Motor Rifle Division, and was assigned the defense of the Vop River northeast of Iartsevo.

On 10 January 1942 Colonel Lizyukov was awarded the rank of major-general, and was appointed commander of the 2nd Guards Rifle Corps, which was assigned to the Northwestern Front in the Kalinin region.

By the end of February 1941, 2nd Guards Rifle Corps had moved from Staraya Russa to the west of the Demyansk Pocket to encircle about 95,000 German troops.

In addition, instead of cutting into the flanks of the enemy, 5th Army faced 24th Panzer Division frontally, as this unit had moved south instead of east in accordance to the planning for Case Blue, and not as expected by the Stavka.

He commandeered a KV tank to rescue his two brigades from encirclement, but was immobilized just short of the German prepared defensive positions, and was killed in action.