Biletsky reported a sharp slowdown in the Russian advance in the Donetsk region

Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, commander of the “Center” Military Group, stated that the advance of Russian troops in the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk sector has slowed significantly. According to him, following changes in the command structure, the pace of the enemy’s advance in this sector of the front has effectively ground to a halt over the past month.

“Regarding the situation in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk: it is absolutely true that during Operation ‘Vivaldi,’ vast sections of the front line in the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk sector were lost, and Kostiantynivka was also effectively lost at that time. The fact is that while Operation ‘Vivaldi’ was underway, I had no involvement in this sector, nor did the people present here. That was the responsibility of the Eastern Military Group. “Over the past month, I can say that the pace of the advance has slowed down several times,” the general said at a press conference, according to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent.

According to Biletsky, the enemy’s advance has effectively come to a halt, and in the northern sector, which falls under the responsibility of the 11th Army Corps—that is, in the direction of Mykolaivka, Piskunivka, and Rai-Oleksandrivka—“it has not only stopped but has also reversed course.”

“In other words, we are regaining territory there faster than the enemy is,” the brigadier general said.

Responding to a question about coordination with the “Azov” task force led by Denys Prokopenko, Biletsky said that their corps are now positioned side by side and are working together, which is critically important.

“Of course, now that Denis has received his sector and his formation, we have greater coordination. We have received formations in the form of the 19th, 11th, and 3rd Army Corps. And now we are neighbors. Undoubtedly, coordination is a critical key issue for us—one we pay close attention to—and we carry out this coordination at the task force level and at the corps level,” Biletsky noted.

According to him, the two groups are currently actively cooperating at all levels.

“And I think this will yield results in the near future,” the brigadier general believes.

As previously reported, on September 13, 2026, Brigadier General Denys Prokopenko (“Redis”) took command of the “Azov” military group in the Donetsk region.

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Andriy Biletsky will lead the new “Center” military group.

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