The Bielski partisans eventually teamed up with Soviet groups around the Naliboki Forest under General Platon (Vasily Yefimovich Chernyshev). Soviet commanders tried several times to get Bielski fighters to join their units, but they refused. Tuvia continued to command the Bielski partisans. This allowed him to continue in his mission to protect Jewish lives along with engaging in combat activity. However, it would also cause problems later on.