MINSK, 12 September (BelTA) – Belarus' Defense Ministry has launched a website dedicated specifically to the joint strategic exercise of the Armed Forces of Belarus and Russia Zapad 2017 - http://exercise.mil.by, BelTA has learned.
The website will provide daily press releases, information materials on the exercise, photos, videos. All relevant information regarding Zapad 2017 will be also posted on the website of the Defense Ministry (http://mil.by) and the website of the TV company VoenTV.
Zapad 2017 will get extensive media coverage. During its active phase on 17-19 September journalists will be able to travel to the army exercise areas of Ruzhansky, Osipovichsky, and Domanovo where combat actions will be practiced. As from 14 September a Defense Ministry spokesman will brief reporters on a daily basis about the tasks practiced on every day of the Belarusian-Russian strategic army exercise Zapad 2017 at the end of each day.
According to the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about 270 foreign mass media outlets have applied for accreditation. Applications have been received from news agencies, publications and TV channels from all the neighboring countries, and also the UK, Germany, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, the United States, Turkey, Finland, France, and Sweden. The army exercise will also be covered by journalists from Qatar, South Korea and Japan.
A large number of observers have been invited to attend the Zapad 2017 army exercise. Invitations have been sent to international organizations such as the UN, OSCE, NATO, CIS, CSTO, ICRC and also the military-diplomatic corps accredited in the embassies of foreign states in Belarus. The Belarusian Defense Ministry also expects military observers from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, Sweden and Norway. All in all, more than 80 people have been invited. Zapad 2017 will be conducted on 14-20 September in Belarus and in Russia (Luzhsky, Strugi Krasnye and Pravdinsky ranges).
