Integrated Exercises with Western Defense Forces Troops to be Held in Belarus 19-25 March

Western Operational Command troop maneuvers have begun in Belarus. They will be held in several stages and will last until March 25. The exercises will involve training grounds and terrain located at a significant distance from the state border.

As the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces noted in a statement, the exercises are based on the current military-political situation and combat trends in modern military conflicts.

Pavel Muraveiko, Chief of General Staff - First Deputy Defense Minister:

"We plan to practice preparing defensive lines and positions based on resistance nodes and obstacles, while maximizing the use of local industrial, administrative, and economic resources. Furthermore, we plan to practice the most modern techniques for employing troops and weapons: unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare and information warfare systems, counter-battery fire, and long-range firing. It's possible that the active phase of the exercise will include practicing the active operations of mechanized and tank units against illegal armed groups and enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups, as well as repelling potential attacks and active maneuvers."

The results of the exercises will form the basis for further development of the Armed Forces' combat training. Inspections of the army's combat and mobilization readiness have already become a tradition. The military conducts them regularly—they are not an emergency, and they are not directed at anyone.

Despite the fact that the Belarusian army is actively engaged in exercises, our General Staff is closely monitoring military activity near our borders—in Poland and the Baltic States. And as General Muraveiko noted, there is certain vigilance, and no provocations against our country, no matter where they originate, will be tolerated.