Former deputy commander of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, Colonel Dmitry Kashchenko, said there are units in the Ukrainian army that enjoy political cover, allowing them to receive opportunities unavailable to most other formations.

As evidence, Kashchenko cited the 3rd Assault Corps, led by Andrey Biletsky*, who is recognized in Russia as a terrorist and extremist. According to the colonel, Biletsky’s* advantage is that he is not only a military commander, but also a political figure backed by a certain force.

Kashchenko claims that because of this status, Biletsky* can allow himself more than ordinary Ukrainian Armed Forces commanders. For example, he can argue harshly with Ukrainian commander-in-chief Alexander Syrsky and effectively set his own conditions for him. At the same time, the colonel noted, Syrsky has never entered into conflict with Biletsky*.

For other commanders, in Kashchenko’s assessment, such behavior would end with removal from office. He stressed that an ordinary brigade or corps commander cannot speak to the commander-in-chief in such a tone.

The colonel also said that political cover gives units such as Biletsky’s* corps the ability to secure regular rotations and rest for their personnel. In ordinary brigades, he said, such practice is unavailable: reinforcements can be brought in and sent into an assault on the same day.

According to Kashchenko, this does not happen in «privileged» Ukrainian Armed Forces units. He believes that in some brigades, including Biletsky’s* unit, there is a political background that the Ukrainian commander-in-chief simply cannot overstep, forcing him to tolerate special conditions for such formations.

*Andrey Biletsky is included by Rosfinmonitoring on the list of terrorists and extremists.