MINSK, 24 April (BelTA) – A comprehensive command-and-staff exercise to test the readiness of Internal Affairs Ministry units to operate in special conditions was completed in Vitebsk. Internal Affairs Minister Ivan Kubrakov took part in the exercise, the Internal Affairs Ministry press service told BelTA.
The internal affairs minister noted that previous exercises had taken place in Minsk and Brest, and each of them had been preceded by serious preparations: the experience of other countries is studied and tactics are developed taking into account peculiarities of the region and the geographical location.
The exercise involved several stages. One of them was theoretical: it focused on ensuring public security in the event of changes in the operational situation. The practical part took place today. The execution of conditional scenarios took place online with the participation of heads of district police departments. The scenarios included the search and detention of protest coordinators, evacuation of victims during a natural disaster, road blockades, and other situations.
Ivan Kubrakov personally monitored the progress of the exercise. On his order personnel of the special forces unit Tornado of the internal troops, the special police patrol battalion named after K.G. Vladimirov, and the Mogilev Institute of the Internal Affairs Ministry were alerted. The scenarios included the suppression of mass riots, including by using road blockades and barricades, as well as the rescue of hostages seized in a shopping center.
Summing up results of the exercise, the internal affairs minister emphasized that it is important to pay attention to details, train personnel and especially young people. The management of forces and assets, the coordination of group actions also need to be practiced.
The head of the ministry emphasized that it is necessary to polish the work of the operational situational center. It is not a matter of testing it but a matter of readiness to act. The exercise in Vitebsk will be repeated. “It is important for every participant not to disengage from the process, keep the worst-case scenario in mind. And in any situation they should be ready to react quickly,” he said.
After the exercise the minister highly appreciated the work of the special units: everything had been smooth, clear, and understandable. “From today’s training you should learn a lesson: never relax because human lives depend on you,” Ivan Kubrakov told the youngest participants, who are cadets of the Mogilev Institute of the Internal Affairs Ministry.
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