MINSK, 17 January (BelTA) - Conducting a snap combat readiness inspection of the regional grouping of troops (forces) of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation will be an important event to ensure the security of the Union State, State Secretary of the Security Council Aleksandr Volfovich told the BelTA news agency after a report to the Belarusian president on 17 January.
"This decision was made following the assessment of the current military and political situation near the borders of Belarus and Russia," Aleksandr Volfovich emphasized. “There is nothing extraordinary here. At the end of last year, the presidents of our countries confirmed the plans to hold joint exercises in Belarus this year.”
The state secretary of the Security Council noted that Belarus is concerned over the increase in the NATO military activity near its borders.
"The number of troops in the neighboring countries is increasing. So is the intensity of military exercises. This is happening not only in Poland and Lithuania, which are members of the alliance. Their militarization is expected. Our southern neighbor Ukraine is not lagging behind them in favor of its Western handlers,” Aleksandr Volfovich noted. “The head of state took note of this. The aggressive and destructive policies pursued by the neighboring states do not contribute in the least to the good-neighborly relations. At any moment, a provocation can happen and something irreparable will follow."
According to Aleksandr Volfovich, in such a situation Belarus must be ready to act immediately and decisively, both on its own and jointly as part of the regional grouping of troops (forces). It is important to make sure of its effectiveness in modern conditions. The forthcoming inspection will assess the actions of the military, drill the actions of the command during troops deployment. The exercise will also practice repelling air and land strikes by enemy and a number of other issues.
Some Russian forces and means are already arriving in Belarus within the framework of the first stage of the inspection, the state secretary of the Security Council said and added that Belarus has always been a country of goodness, peace and security.
