Thanks to the successes of the Ukrainian military, the Russians have decreased their pace of advance on the front: over the past four months, Russian troops have advanced significantly less than during a single average month in 2025, Commander of the Third Army Corps, Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, has stated.
As reported by an Interfax-Ukraine agency correspondent, he made the statement during a media briefing with Latvian Minister of Defense Raivis Melnis following a military equipment handover ceremony to the Third Army Corps from Latvia.
"Right now, the speed of the Russian advance over four months is lower than the average for a single month in 2025. And it is effectively the lowest since 2022. How is this not a turning point already? At the very least, it is a stalemate situation. The percentage of Russian losses has increased. That is the second point. Third: the rate of Russian contract recruitment has decreased. Meaning, losses are growing, gains are zero, and the offensive potential in the form of infantry is shrinking. I believe these are the three greatest signs of a turning point," the brigadier general noted, responding to a question regarding the signs of a "turning point" on the front line that he already observes.
Separately, Biletsky highlighted the importance of Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia, as now "the Russians are feeling the price of war, and it is obvious that the price for them will continue to rise."
Responding to a question regarding the possibility of hostilities ending in November, the commander said that his job "is to ensure that Ukraine's positions in any negotiations are better than they are today."
"As a military officer, it is not my business to believe or not to believe. My business is to make sure that with each passing day, our positions in any future negotiations are better than they are today. If it happens, well okay, we must do our job 100%. If this truce does not happen, we must again perform 100%, and keep doing it past November so that peace arrives as quickly as possible. I think that until the Russians truly get punched in the teeth, peace will only come after the Russians suffer a serious defeat," Biletsky has said.
At the end of May, the commander of the Third Army Corps, Andriy Biletsky, stated that Ukraine has 6–9 months to seize the initiative from Russia on the battlefield and strengthen its positions for peace negotiations.
"I believe that the next six to nine months will become a turning point," Biletsky noted.
