Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, commander of the Third Army Corps, stated in a video address from the centre of Svyatogorsk that the city is fully under the control of the corps’ 60th Mechanised Brigade. The video, filmed against the backdrop of the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra, was a response to Russian claims that the town had allegedly been captured.
Briefly about the main points
- Biletsky recorded a message in the centre of Svyatogorsk.
- According to him, the city is under the control of the 60th Mechanised Brigade.
- The commander described Svyatogorsk as, in effect, a rear area.
- Previously, Ukraine’s control over the city had been confirmed by the military and the regional administration.
- The community remains at risk due to Russian shelling.
Response to Russian statements
In the statement Biletsky He called on the Russian military and military-political leadership not to spread false reports. He emphasised that the 60th Mechanised Brigade is holding Sviatohirsk in its entirety, and that the town is «effectively a rear area» — this is the commander’s assessment.
The 60th Separate Mechanised Brigade is part of the Third Army Corps. Russian claims regarding the alleged capture of Svyatogorsk emerged on 1–2 September.
Ukrainian authorities had previously confirmed their control over the city
On 2 September, a spokesperson for the «East» military group» Grigory Shapoval stated that the Ukrainian Defence Forces are in full control of Sviatohirsk. On 6 September, the Donetsk Regional Military Administration also reported that the town remains under Ukrainian control, describing the Russian reports as false.
At the same time, the Donetsk Regional Military Administration described the security situation in the Sviatohirsk community as challenging: due to the proximity of the front line, the town and the community are under constant Russian shelling.
