MINSK, 11 February (BelTA) – Military personnel discharge their duties in a decent manner as part of the ongoing inspection of the combat readiness of Belarus’ Armed Forces, BelTA learned from Chairman of the National Security Commission of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Gennady Lepeshko.
The combat readiness inspection of the Armed Forces is supposed to accomplish the main task: to verify the ability to respond to all threats and challenges facing the Republic of Belarus as well as the ability to fulfill designated tasks. “We see that neighboring countries continue to engage in unfriendly rhetoric towards us. Apart from that, they are increasing the size of their armed forces and are spending huge resources on buying offensive and long-range weapons. Most importantly, military units from these countries and NATO countries are moving closer to the borders of the Republic of Belarus and the Union State [of Belarus and Russia]. This is why we are forced to pay the closest attention to the defensive capability of the Republic of Belarus,” Gennady Lepeshko emphasized.
According to preliminary results, military personnel, including those recalled to active duty, are discharging their duties with dignity despite difficult weather conditions. “Preliminary data released by State Secretary of the Security Council Aleksandr Volfovich show that they are doing well. I think this is precisely the result of the Armed Forces’ training system, the combat training of personnel, and the operational training of commanding officers. It means that it is in place and proves its effectiveness,” the MP believes.
In his words, events on the ground during Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine show that soldiers remain the key factor in military conflict. “Equipping them is one of the main priorities in this war. In Belarus we have everything we need to equip our soldiers: gear, small arms, grenade launchers, and anti-tank guided missile systems. We have built a factory to produce ammunition. This is why we will be able to produce the necessary amount of ammunition for ourselves. We are in the process of thoroughly modernizing the weapons and military equipment we have inherited after the collapse of the Soviet Union. These efforts are bearing fruit. We already have our own missiles for the Buk air defense system. These are Belarusian missiles. We also continue modernizing the Polonez missile complex and we will soon have our own missile,” he cited as an example.
Apart from that, long-range artillery and tanks have to support soldiers in combat. “As the special military operation has demonstrated, tanks are used in sheltered firing positions. They have become a prime target for unmanned aerial vehicles and FPV drones, this is why they are used in this way,“ noted Gennady Lepeshko. ”In the event of an armed conflict we should not have to go around begging for equipment and ammunition. It is a terrible situation when you are told, ‘Listen, we have already given away everything we had, there is nothing left.’ This is why Belarus has decided to build a factory to supply its Armed Forces with the necessary ammunition, including for artillery systems and multiple launch rocket systems.”
“As the president said, we will develop, produce, and store our own ammunition. Unlike FPV drones, which have a limited shelf life, these rockets and shells can be stored for decades under normal conditions. We will not be dependent on anyone. We will be able to respond to any armed conflict with our own resources. And those systems or types of weapons that we do not produce or that are not economically viable to produce in small quantities will be purchased from strategic partners: the Russian Federation or the People’s Republic of China,” Gennady Lepeshko stressed.
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