MARYINA GORKA, 24 July (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with soldiers and officers of the 5th Independent Special Operations Brigade in Maryina Gorka, Pukhovichi District, Minsk Oblast on 24 July, BelTA has learned.
The head of state noted: “I think the number of army units I visit so frequently is small. It is no accident. You are a special unit in our Armed Forces. At least I think you are and you have not proved otherwise yet.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko traditionally asked State Secretary of the Security Council Andrei Ravkov to remind participants of the meeting about provisions of the updated Military Doctrine, which takes into account peculiarities of modern wars and conflicts. Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “In my time we've modernized our Armed Forces three or four times to adjust their ability to wage wars in modern conditions. A new Military Doctrine was adopted in 2018. It stipulates how and what wars we will wage if we have to defend our fatherland all of a sudden.”
Andrei Ravkov noted that the risks of a large-scale war and Belarus' getting involved in it are minimal at present. “The probability is low. The things we've studied – conflicts, local wars that have happened across the globe, events preceding them, the undercurrents preceding these conflicts and wars – have a higher probability. All of that was studied and incorporated into the Military Doctrine,” the state secretary of the Security Council noted. “Today we can confidently say that a war will not break out just like that. A war begins in advance. First of all, it starts with domestic armed conflicts, color revolutions, which may be inspired by outside forces, just like it happened in the conflicts we've studied. This is why we should be constantly ready for it.”
While talking to residents of the city of Maryina Gorka later on, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that the army unit is one of the best in the Belarusian army. “They are very well trained. I've contributed a lot to their growth. It was the fourth time I'd visited this army unit,” he said.
“If someone tells you that Lukashenko came to force the military to put things right in streets… Although due to its specialization this unit can very well be deployed to restore order by law if some riots happen somewhere, god forbid. But that's a different issue. Our readiness to always defend our country, the fatherland, this piece of land where we and our kids should live is the idea. It is my key goal,” the Belarusian leader stressed.