Biletskyi in interview with The Times: russian offensive near Lyman effectively stopped. Before that, Ukraine was losing 60 square kilometers here every month

The commander of the Third Army Corps, Colonel Andrii Biletskyi, spoke about the first results of the merger in an interview with the British The Times.

The publication writes that the Third Corps includes five brigades that hold more than 10% of the front line. "The sector that I took over is one of the two main directions of the Russian offensive," he says. "In [the Lyman area], Ukraine was losing about 60 square kilometers per month before our arrival. We managed to reduce the enemy's advance to almost zero."

Biletskyi's promotion to Corps commander is associated with the success of the Third Assault Brigade he founded, which has become one of the most effective combat units in Ukraine. Now the officers and sergeants of the Third are sharing their experience with their colleagues from the other four brigades.

"While recruitment efforts falter and brigades are understaffed, exhausted, and increasingly demoralized, his unit is at full strength and even growing. Where others are retreating in the Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka areas, they are holding their ground near Lyman and Izium," The Times writes.

The Corps command is now focused on organizing interaction between units, providing supplies, and training personnel in combat and ideology. "Material incentives are irrelevant—no one is willing to die for money. In the most difficult moments, a person must identify with a warrior, with a military brotherhood, and with a mission greater than himself," the publication quotes Biletskyi.

The Times journalist visited the unit's front line and spoke with the fighters. According to them, they also value the commander for his ability to defend his personnel to senior leadership.

"Sometimes in the Third Brigade, 'manly talk' is considered appropriate and acceptable - but only in exceptional cases," says Biletskyi. "During this war, I had to talk like that to some senior officers. Because I believed that what they were doing was a blatant betrayal of the soldiers."