Belarusian authorities announced Tuesday the «imminent» launch of a series of military exercises to test the combat capability of the Armed Forces in the midst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defense has confirmed that, following orders from the country’s president, Alexander Lukashenko, troops have been deployed in «designated areas» and various operations have been launched, including crossing two of Belarus’ main rivers.
«These measures will be comprehensive, troops will advance to previously designated areas as soon as possible and reinforce their equipment while organizing defense and security issues,» the ministry said on its Telegram account.
However, the authorities have not specified how long these maneuvers will last or their possible implications for Ukraine, which has been fighting Russian forces for nearly ten months since the start of the invasion.
Belarus, an ally of Moscow, has allowed Russian forces to use its territory to establish bases as part of the invasion, although it has consistently denied any direct involvement of its army in the war.
Last week, the authorities announced the launching of a «training plan» to «maintain combat readiness and mobilization» within the Armed Forces. Belarusian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Inna Gorbacheva said at the time that «the activities are carried out in line with the training plan following the call for military service and the development of an initial military training program by new recruits.»
