ORSHA, 27 August (BelTA) - The objectives of the Belarusian-Russian strategic military exercise Zapad 2025 [West 2025] are strictly defensive, State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Aleksandr Volfovich said during a tour of enterprises in Orsha District, BelTA has learned.
“A lot has already been said by our head of state and the leadership of the [Belarusian] Defense Ministry about the fact that the exercises [Zapad 2025] are scheduled and take place every two years. These exercises have no offensive goals. In neighboring countries, exercises are conducted with purely offensive objectives. Our exercises are set with a strictly defensive goal: to protect the Union State [of Belarus and Russia],” the state secretary said.
He also noted that, in order to reduce tensions, all maneuvers of the exercises have been moved deeper into Belarusian territory, although the initial plan had included nearly all training grounds in Brest Oblast and Grodno Oblast. “Our neighbors, in response to our goodwill rhetoric, have deployed a military grouping to conduct exercises at training grounds near our border. For example, today over 1,000 personnel are stationed at the Pabradė training area, just 15 kilometers from our border. How should we respond to this? Additional aviation units have been relocated to airfields in Poland and the Baltic states, where over 148 aircraft are now stationed. Other activities are also being carried out that should raise concern and, perhaps, provoke us into retaliatory measures. But we are sensible people: we will not provoke anyone. We are monitoring the situation and are prepared to deliver a significant response to any potential threats to our territory. We will not give up our land: we will defend it to our last breath, as our ancestors did,” Aleksandr Volfovich emphasized.
He also highlighted the scheduled nature of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) exercises, some of which will be held on Belarusian territory. “Virtually all contingents from CSTO member states have arrived at the Losvido training ground, which is also located deep within our country. These are planned exercises that rotate among CSTO countries. The largest exercise on Belarusian territory is Interaction 2025, which will involve the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (CRRF). The focus will be on conflict localization within the territory of one of the member states,” Aleksandr Volfovich noted. He added that Belarus will also host two special exercises: Search 2025, involving reconnaissance forces and assets, and Echelon 2025, involving material and technical support units of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (CRRF).
These activities are aimed at maintaining law and order and ensuring security within the CSTO member states. “They are not conducted according to Belarus’ national plan, but rather under the CSTO Secretariat’s one. They pose no threat to anyone and are designed to refine methods and tactics for conflict localization. We will also share our experience and assess the training and preparedness of our partners,” the state secretary concluded.
“A lot has already been said by our head of state and the leadership of the [Belarusian] Defense Ministry about the fact that the exercises [Zapad 2025] are scheduled and take place every two years. These exercises have no offensive goals. In neighboring countries, exercises are conducted with purely offensive objectives. Our exercises are set with a strictly defensive goal: to protect the Union State [of Belarus and Russia],” the state secretary said.
He also noted that, in order to reduce tensions, all maneuvers of the exercises have been moved deeper into Belarusian territory, although the initial plan had included nearly all training grounds in Brest Oblast and Grodno Oblast. “Our neighbors, in response to our goodwill rhetoric, have deployed a military grouping to conduct exercises at training grounds near our border. For example, today over 1,000 personnel are stationed at the Pabradė training area, just 15 kilometers from our border. How should we respond to this? Additional aviation units have been relocated to airfields in Poland and the Baltic states, where over 148 aircraft are now stationed. Other activities are also being carried out that should raise concern and, perhaps, provoke us into retaliatory measures. But we are sensible people: we will not provoke anyone. We are monitoring the situation and are prepared to deliver a significant response to any potential threats to our territory. We will not give up our land: we will defend it to our last breath, as our ancestors did,” Aleksandr Volfovich emphasized.
He also highlighted the scheduled nature of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) exercises, some of which will be held on Belarusian territory. “Virtually all contingents from CSTO member states have arrived at the Losvido training ground, which is also located deep within our country. These are planned exercises that rotate among CSTO countries. The largest exercise on Belarusian territory is Interaction 2025, which will involve the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (CRRF). The focus will be on conflict localization within the territory of one of the member states,” Aleksandr Volfovich noted. He added that Belarus will also host two special exercises: Search 2025, involving reconnaissance forces and assets, and Echelon 2025, involving material and technical support units of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (CRRF).
These activities are aimed at maintaining law and order and ensuring security within the CSTO member states. “They are not conducted according to Belarus’ national plan, but rather under the CSTO Secretariat’s one. They pose no threat to anyone and are designed to refine methods and tactics for conflict localization. We will also share our experience and assess the training and preparedness of our partners,” the state secretary concluded.
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