BORISOV, 14 February (BelTA) – The snap inspection of the Armed Forces ordered by the Belarusian president continues. On 14 February, at the 72nd joint training center for warrant officers and junior specialists, soldiers from the 103rd Vitebsk Airborne Brigade and the 120th Separate Guards Mechanized Brigade are undergoing fitness tests, BelTA has learned.
“We continue to take part in the inspection conducted by order of the Belarusian president. According to the plan, today the servicemen are performing a 5km forced march with weapons. The personnel are ready, they know the task, understand it, and are capable of carrying it out. I am confident in my subordinates. Afterwards, we will continue undergoing fitness tests. Tomorrow, the servicemen will do pull-ups on the bar. The soldiers will complete the inspection with control exercises in weapons training,” Commander of the 103rd Vitebsk Airborne Brigade Vladimir Safonov told journalists.
The brigade commander also pointed out that the personnel of the inspected units are constantly on alert. “Therefore, there is nothing special for them during this inspection. They are doing their job, showing the skills they mastered before the inspection. Moreover, more than half of the time, the servicemen are in the field, performing various tasks,” he emphasized.
Among those taking part in the forced march was Dmitry Tsyngalev, a serviceman of the 103rd Vitebsk Airborne Brigade. “It was not easy, especially on the second and third laps. But our commander supported us, the guys did not give up, did not stop. The weather was not a problem,” he noted.
Commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Belarusian Armed Forces Aleksandr Ilyukevich pointed out that he was satisfied with the actions of the servicemen. “The main thing is that the soldiers have the aspiration, the desire to show results, there are no indifferent people. I am satisfied with the results. Of course, weather conditions and temperature changes make it more challenging. But a paratrooper isn’t afraid of frost or rain, it only gives them a boost,” Aleksandr Ilyukevich stressed.
Also on 14 February, soldiers of the 120th Separate Guards Mechanized Brigade were passing pull-up standards on the bar. “The combat readiness check for us began with a 50km march. Four hours on the road in vehicles, everything went perfectly, the soldiers were very pleased, they coped with the bad weather conditions. Afterwards, we conducted shooting drills with small arms and combat vehicles. Today we are doing pull-ups. Tomorrow we have a 5km run with weapons. We systematically have tests, both in shooting and fitness. So, this is not new for us,” deputy company commander for ideological training Ilya Grishchenko said.
Alongside the men, female servicemen also underwent fitness tests. “We were passing the standard for sit-ups from a lying position. For my age group, 36 repetitions were required, I did 52. I tried not to let my comrades down, because everyone is worried, everyone wants to pass as best as possible, because in the battalion we are one family,” senior assistant to the chief of staff for personnel and unit strength Tatyana Kuderko said.
The large-scale inspection of the Armed Forces on the instructions of the head of state began on 16 January. The commander-in-chief is personally monitoring its progress. A new system has been implemented that allows the president to directly place military units on combat readiness, circumventing the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff. The main aim of these inspections is to gain an objective assessment. This is precisely why they are carried out without prior notice.
Photos by Maksim Guchek/BelTA
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