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"On Point"
MINSK, 5 February (BelTA) – The modernization of old military training areas and the construction of new ones, wargames only 18km away from the Belarusian border were mentioned by Andrei Bogodel, Candidate of Military Sciences, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Education and Science, Head of the Education and Methodology Department of the Faculty of the General Staff of the Armed Forces at the Military Academy of Belarus, in a recent episode of BelTA’s YouTube project On Point.
The expert noted that in addition to hosting all kinds of military exercises the neighboring countries have started renovating military training areas. In particular, Lithuania has mentioned it. “Out of the blue they start talking about Kapciamiestis as a new military training area right in the Suwalki Gap. Then the expansion of other military training areas gets mentioned. For instance, in Rukla, Pabrade, Kazlu Ruda, and in Kairiai outside Klaipeda. And I have only mentioned the military training areas that are close to our borders. Literally 10-70km away,” Andrei Bogodel said. “In the past they could host up to a battalion. Now they have started hosting up to a brigade. They are expanding. For what purpose?”
The expert believes that the militarization of the neighboring countries will not stop at that. “They are building a Baltic line of defense that stretches for thousands of kilometers. They are withdrawing from various Ottawa conventions on prohibiting the use of antipersonnel mines. Poles have started building the Eastern Shield as a similar unified line of defense. For some reason the efforts are concentrated in the Suwalki Gap and they talk about it all the time,” he noted.
Getting back to the topic of military exercises, Andrei Bogodel said that some are taking place outside Pabrade, Lithuania where Americans and Lithuanians are learning how to fire HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems. “And it is happening literally 18km away from the Belarusian border,” he emphasized.
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