MINSK, 13 September (BelTA) – The first stage of the Belarusian-Russian tactical army exercise Union Shield 2019 continues. The military personnel have practiced liberating a populated locality from militants as part of the exercise, representatives of the Belarusian Defense Ministry told BelTA.
In the course of the first stage of the army exercise Belarusian and Russian army units intend to finish eliminating the militants. Organization of interaction, support, and logistics will also be practiced. Close attention is paid to preventing the enemy's sabotage and reconnaissance parties from reaching staging areas of the army units. The liberation of a populated locality from militants was practiced as part of joint search and reconnaissance actions.
Motorized infantry units of the Russian army practiced raising the blockade of a guard outpost and eliminating the enemy. Russian multifunctional bomber-fighters Su-34 and Belarusian attack aircraft Su-25 provided aerial support during this episode of the exercise.
Belarusian army units repulsed an aerial assault of the enemy. Missile and artillery units used unmanned aerial vehicles Supercam S350 and Orlan-10 to find military bases as well as sabotage and reconnaissance parties. The army units marched to new positions and used multiple-launch rocket systems Smerch and Uragan to fire at the detected enemy locations.
BelTA reported earlier that the Belarusian-Russian army exercise Union Shield 2019 began in the Mulino exercise area in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Oblast on 13 September. Some 12,000 military personnel, up to 950 units of military hardware, up to 70 aircraft and helicopters are taking part in the exercise. OSCE member states have been notified about it in line with the 2011 Vienna Document on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures. The Belarusian army is represented by over 4,000 military personnel, more than 30 tanks, 80 armored fighting vehicles, about 50 MLRS, artillery, and mortar units as well as aircraft and helicopters.
