Muristek
Russia announced on February 1 that it had built a field camp in southwest Belarus to carry out exercises aimed at bolstering the defenses of “state and military facilities”, airspace, and borders, and to protect against armed invasion. The exercises would test the military readiness of Union State – the allied forces of Russian and Belarus – and would take place between February 9 and 20, the Russian defense ministry said. The announcement came as Western powers alleged that Russia was carrying out a large military build-up near Ukraine’s borders in preparation for a possible invasion of Ukraine. Belarus, a close ally of Russia, shares borders with Ukraine to its south, Poland to its west, and Lithuania and Latvia to its north. The field camp was located in Brest province in southwest Belarus, the Russian defense ministry said. In a press release, the Russian defense ministry said infantry troops from the Eastern Military District had been deployed to the camp at the “Brestsky training field” in Belarus to take part in joint exercises with Belarusian forces that would test the readiness of their military responses. The camp was “equipped with everything necessary for comfortable living of the military personnel in the field including canteens and medical facilities,” Russia said. It was also stocked with medical supplies, fuel, and ammunition, along with “bath and laundry facilities, cultural and leisure facilities, places for mental relaxation and sport activities, and places for combat training,” Russia’s defense ministry said. The announcement came as the US State Department ordered the departure of family members of government employees in Belarus due to “an increase in unusual and concerning Russian military activity.” Credit: Russian Ministry of Defense via Storyful
Most Read