Progress and Challenges in the Corps Transformation

In June 2025, the transformation of the Defense Forces into a corps‑and‑brigade system entered its final phase as corps formations gradually assumed control of the front. This shift also marked the beginning of the phase‑out of temporary command structures—such as tactical groups and operational‑tactical groups—which were subsequently disbanded. Just today, MilitaryLand reported that two prominent formations have been officially dissolved: Operational Tactical Group Luhansk and Operational Tactical Group Donetsk.

Deploying to the Frontline

The 17th Army Corps has assumed responsibility for the area south of Zaporizhzhia. Meanwhile, the 19th Army Corps has recently moved into the Toretsk and Kostyantynivka area, and the 20th Army Corps has been deployed to positions south of Pokrovsk.

The 7th Rapid Response Corps is set to assume control of one of the most challenging sections of the frontline—the Pokrovsk direction—where it will support the 9th Army Corps already operating in the area. Meanwhile, the 11th Army Corps has taken over responsibility from the disbanded Operational Tactical Group Luhansk and will now oversee the Chasiv Yar and Siversk sectors.

Still a Long Way to Go

“Out of the 11 brigades operating within the corps’ area, only three are actually ours.”

Most of the brigades under corps command are not structurally subordinated to the corps, as a full reorganization of the front is currently impossible. At the same time, new corps-level units—such as drone teams, reconnaissance elements, and engineering detachments—are being formed from the remnants of other, already existing brigades.

“Out of the 11 brigades operating within the corps’ area, only three are actually ours,” one officer told Ukrainska Pravda. “In the corps’ fire support unit, only half the personnel are artillerymen—the rest are officers, engineers, and topographers. Our drone battalion is being formed from a rifle battalion of one of the brigades. They have neither drones nor any experience in operating them.”

The use of temporarily assigned units follows the same system that the previous tactical and operational-tactical groups operated under—and has proven to be ineffective.

Another challenge is that units belonging to a single corps are currently spread out along the frontline. For instance, the 1st Azov Corps has the Azov Brigade positioned south of Kostyantynivka, temporarily under the 19th Army Corps‘ command, while the Bureviy Brigade is deployed near Kupyansk—over 100 kilometers apart.

The situation is somewhat different with the 3rd Army Corps, which is among the strongest and most motivated formations within the Defense Forces.

“This is purely political. Biletsky holds too much authority, and the military leadership is doing everything they can to delay the deployment of his corps,” a source told Ukrainska Pravda.

Despite the challenges, the 3rd Army Corps continues to steadily assume control of the frontline in the Lyman direction and has already demonstrated positive results. Unlike the Tactical Group Kreminna, which previously held this sector, the 3rd Army Corps command does not pressure units to retake lost positions at all costs. Instead, they carefully assess the situation and are willing to make decisions that genuinely save soldiers’ lives.