MINSK, 27 December (BelTA) - The deployment time for the Oreshnik missile system is a matter of minutes, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces – First Deputy Defense Minister of Belarus Pavel Muraveiko told the ONT TV channel, BelTA has learned.
“Being on or performing combat duty is a rather comprehensive concept. Yes, indeed, the Oreshnik system is located on our territory, its combat patrol areas are defined, and the coordination of combat crews and geo-referencing is being carried out to enable its deployment and application. All these activities constitute a set of works aimed at reducing the launch time of a combat missile. So, standing combat duty essentially means having the system at its highest alert level and keeping it ready to perform any designated tasks,” he emphasized.
What is the deployment time for the system? “It can vary, depending on the level of readiness and other factors, but it’s a matter of minutes, very quick,” emphasized Pavel Muraveiko.
At the same time, he noted that modern weapons, of course, play a significant role in the state of a nation’s military power, but the main element ensuring stability and security is the Belarusian people.
A Security Council meeting was recently held where one topic was the requirement to update defense measures. What exactly does this refer to?
“Updating defense processes means reforming or bringing all our defensive actions that take place in the state into alignment with current realities. This, by the way, has been done throughout the current year, and at the Security Council meeting, the head of state approved the country’s defense plan for the next five years,” Pavel Muraveiko said.
He emphasized that updating defense measures is not only about increasing the readiness of the Armed Forces or the state’s military organization. “We have significant groundwork in matters of preparing and building the country’s defense power, preparing the population and territory, developing economic sectors that contribute to or enhance the state’s potential, and so on. Another important document that has formalized these efforts to improve or update defense actions is the country’s social and economic development program for the next five years, approved at the Belarusian People’s Congress. One of its priorities is increasing the country’s defense capability,” the chief of the General Staff said.
The USA has recently published its National Security Strategy. It states that the conflict in Ukraine must be ended, NATO should not expand eastward, and Europe should provide for itself. How beneficial is this pragmatic approach by the U.S. authorities for Minsk?
“Someone ancient and wise said that words mean nothing – actions show everything. Yes, undoubtedly, the U.S. strategy has introduced tones of scaling back aggressive rhetoric, dialing down conflict potential, and toning down its opposition to Europe. But that doesn’t mean we should start clapping our hands and shouting that everything has changed for us. While writing provisions about Europe’s self-reliance in the strategy, the USA nevertheless demanded that its NATO allies reach a threshold of 5% of GDP in defense spending. The issue of reducing NATO or disbanding the alliance was not considered. We must watch the actions. Therefore, we assess this as a positive signal, but our decisions and actions will be guided exclusively by practical steps that ensure our security, our development, and our functioning within the coordinates of international relations,” Pavel Muraveiko said.
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