MARYINA GORKA, 24 July (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko is inspecting the 5th Independent Special Operations Brigade in Maryina Gorka, BelTA reports.
The helicopter of the head of state landed in the territory of the brigade where Aleksandr Lukashenko was greeted by Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin. The president had a brief conversation with the minister and joined the military and officials waiting for him.
Vadim Denisenko, Commander of the Special Operations Forces, spread a poster in front of the president and started telling him something, sometimes in a low voice. Obviously, this information was classified. Journalists were told that the head of state was informed about the structure, staff and main tasks of the brigade.
The president also saw the weapons, gear and uniform of the special forces units. Aleksandr Lukashenko was also shown several samples of standard military uniform. The president asked the military whether this uniform is comfortable and enduring. Soldiers and officers did not voice any complaints and noted that the new uniform is made of breathable fabric and wears well; in addition to that, there are uniform sets for any weather conditions. “The most important thing about a uniform is comfort. I remember the old uniform; wearing it was a torture, especially in summer,” the head of state said.
The president inspected the small arms used by special forces: machine guns, sniper rifles, assault rifles, grenade launchers and rocket launchers. The Viking feed system caught the president's eye due to its artful mechanism: a gunman has a backpack behind with an ammunition belt loaded with 580 cartridges. These cartages go through the belt in less than a minute.
“You mean it never fails?” the president asked. Senior officer of the armaments division of the Special Operations Forces Command Maksim Baranov noted that the Viking system has been used over two years and no one has complained about it so far.
Aleksandr Lukashenko visited the museum of history and military glory of the 334th separate special operations group that was established to take part in the Soviet-Afghan War. The president was also told about the feats of Belarusian soldiers and officers who fought in Afghanistan. Some members of the group died in the famous Battle of Maravar Pass during the Soviet-Afghan War.
Established in 2004, the museum features 226 exhibits dedicated to the brigade and the Soviet-Afghan War. It is a center of patriotic upbringing of Minsk Oblast. Librarian Lyudmila Golubenko who arranges excursions in the museum said that after visiting this exposition students often change the way they see the world.
