Combat training, activities of the Internal Troops and territorial defense.
During the combat readiness inspection of the Belarusian Armed Forces, the 19th Mechanized Brigade continued its mobilization expansion. Some of the brigade’s units continued to perform tasks in the regions of Belarus bordering Lithuania. The expansion of the 120th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade also began as part of the inspection.
Other combat training activities included bilateral battalion tactical drills at the Obuz-Liasnouski training ground, training of aviation redeployment to reserve airfields and training at the facility “Lines “Khrenina”.
Eight pieces of ground support equipment were purchased for the air base at Machulishchy airfield. In 2024, the repair of the runways of two military airfields will continue.
International cooperation
On 26 March, the Zimbabwean Defense Attaché paid an official visit to the Ministry of Defense of Belarus due to his appointment. The parties discussed the implementation of the ‘Roadmap’ for the development of cooperation, as well as the Action Plan for Military Cooperation between the Ministries of Defense of Belarus and Zimbabwe for 2024.
On March 27, the head of the Department of International Military Cooperation in Abu Dhabi held a bilateral meeting with a representative of the Ministry of Defense of the United Arab Emirates. The parties discussed issues of bilateral cooperation in the military sphere and also agreed on a list of joint activities for 2024. Based on the results of the meeting, the parties expressed interest in intensifying contacts in the military sphere.
On March 27, Commander of the Internal Troops Mikalai Karpiankou met with Liu Zhe, military attaché at the Chinese Embassy in Belarus. During the meeting, the issues of further development of the relationship between the agencies were discussed. An agreement was reached on mutual training of servicemen.
On March 28, a delegation of the Belarusian Armed Forces took part in the 19th meeting of the Expert Working Group of the SCO Defense Ministers, which was held in Astana. During the meeting, preparations for the SCO Defense Ministers’ Meeting and other events were discussed.
Combat readiness inspection
- The 19th Mechanized Brigade
Units of the 1st Separate Mechanized Battalion and the 4th Separate Tank Battalion of the 19th Mechanized Brigade are still stationed in Ashmiany and Pastavy districts. Personnel together with the border guard bodies continue to serve at checkpoints.
Training on basic combat training disciplines with conscripts drafted from the reserve continues at the Lepelski training ground. Appropriate logistics infrastructure has been deployed to support the brigade. Some units of the 19th Mechanized Brigade were redeployed to the Asipovichski and Damanava training grounds.
On March 26, Lukashenka visited the disposition of the 19th Mechanized Brigade in Ashmiany district. Defense Minister Khrenin said that the combat readiness inspection was one of the largest in the Belarusian Armed Forces.
- The 120th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade
On March 25, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus reported that the 120th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade (military unit 96577) was brought to readiness to perform its assigned tasks. The brigade is deployed in Baranavichy and has Buk SAM systems. In order to additionally staff the brigade to the wartime staff size, military commissariats of Brest region drafted about 1000 conscripts to military training sessions. Military equipment was removed from long-term storage. Some units of the brigade were taken to the assigned areas and started their combat duty.
Combat training
Control exercises with live firing of platoons were held at the Losvida training ground with one of the parachute battalions of the 103rd Airborne Brigade.
As part of firearms training, servicemen of one of the units of the 115th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment threw grenades and fired standard weapons at UAV targets.
On March 25-29, control exercises on tactical and special training were conducted in the Signal Troops. During the exercises, servicemen practiced practical measures to build up and operate the communications system of the Belarusian Armed Forces. New forms and methods of organizing communications and the combat use of communications units were tested, taking into account the experience of modern armed conflicts. Units of the 74th Signal Regiment also took part in the control exercises.
As part of the field drills of the Signal Battalion of the 103rd Airborne Brigade, tactical and special training is being conducted at the Losvida training ground. It was also reported that the brigade’s anti-aircraft units were also sent to field drills.
Soldiers of the cannon divizion of the 111th Artillery Brigade practiced the use of artillery systems in conditions of limited visibility during night exercises. They also paid special attention to counter-battery combat.
On March 27, bilateral battalion tactical drills with units of the 6th and 11th Mechanized Brigades were conducted at the 230th Obuz-Liasnouski combined arms training ground. One of the stages of the drills was the storming of a settlement, which involved artillery units and UAVs. The servicemen also set up mine and explosive barriers. A mobile acoustic system was used to demoralize the conditional enemy.
As part of the camp training session, a number of practical exercises were conducted with the engineer-sapper battalions of the Western Operational Command, aimed at practicing mining and demining.
Field drills are being conducted at the 22nd Separate Special Forces Company.
On March 28, tactical drills were held with the rocket artillery divizion of the 841st Artillery Group of the 11th Mechanized Brigade. During the drills, they focused on performing firing tasks while moving artillery batteries and managing units using software.
A tank battalion of the 11th Mechanized Brigade continues training at the 333rd combat training center of the Russian Armed Forces. During the training, the servicemen improve their skills in tactical shooting and medicine, evacuation from armored vehicles that have been hit, and self-digging of a tank.
On March 27, the 61st Fighter Air Base and the 116th Assault Air Base redeployed their aircraft to reserve airfields. The pilots from Baranavichy practiced the redeployment to Minsk National Airport, and the pilots from Lida – to Babruisk airfield. The redeployment of aircraft is conducted in order to avoid enemy strikes on aircraft.
Company tactical drills with live firing by units of the 38th Air Assault Brigade were conducted at the Brestski training ground. Special attention was paid to the work with reinforcement equipment, the use of UAVs and tactical medicine.
Servicemen of the 355th Separate Tank Battalion of the 120th Mechanized Brigade completed an exercise of firing a guided projectile from the armament of a T-72B tank at the 227th combined arms training ground. Target reconnaissance, target designation and assessment of the firing results were carried out using UAVs.
A training session on tactical shooting with instructors was held in the Western Operational Command.
Units of the 78th Separate Mechanized Battalion of the 6th Mechanized Brigade conducted combat training at the facility of ‘Khrenin’s line’ located in Zhabinka district.
Military commissariats and territorial defense
It was reported on conducting: 1) inspections of mobilization readiness of vehicles; 2) trainings on military registration in organizations and trainings with officials of centers for collection and notification of mobilization resources.
Military training sessions were reported to be conducted at the 7th Engineering Regiment, the 115th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment and the Military Academy. At least 42 reservists were drafted to the training sessions in the units mentioned above. Minsk military commissariats also sent 10 reservists to military training sessions.
Military commissariats of Brest region drafted 1000 conscripts to staff the 120th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade as part of the combat readiness inspection.
On March 27-28, under the leadership of the chairman of the Talochyn District Executive Committee, a joint training was conducted with the district territorial defense headquarters. Officials of the military commissariats of Vitsiebsk region, representatives of the inspection for the protection of fauna and flora, police and the Ministry of Emergency Situations took part in the training. The purpose of the training is to maintain the level of coordination of the territorial defense management bodies.
On March 28, an open mobile trial was held in Belaaziorsk, where a criminal case on evasion of conscription for active military service (p.1 Art.435 of the Criminal Code) was considered. The court found the conscript guilty and sentenced him to 2 months of arrest.
On March 27-28, a joint staff training with the district headquarters of territorial defense was held in Vitsiebsk. Representatives of law enforcement agencies of Vitsiebsk and Vitsiebsk district, inspection of protection of fauna and flora took part in the training.
On March 23-30, combat coordination activities were conducted with conscripts drafted from the reserve during the inspection of territorial defense of Rahachou and Karma districts of Homiel region. The purpose of the event was to restore the knowledge and skills on general military disciplines. During the training, the conscripts practiced first aid, equipping shelters, firing with standard weapons, they also underwent tactical, reconnaissance and NBC protection training. Also, during the training, service at a checkpoint was practised.
Internal Troops
According to Lukashenka’s decree, the Berkut special purpose detachment has been given the status of a separate military unit. Now it is the Berkut special purpose detachment, military unit 5528.
On March 29, a graduation of students of junior officer training courses took place at the Faculty of Internal Troops of the Military Academy. More than 35 servicemen graduated from the course. They were awarded the first officer rank of junior lieutenant.
Changes in the organizational and staff structure and the introduction of new positions for warrant officers and officers continue in the Internal Troops. In total, more than 530 new positions have already been introduced.
A special training with soldiers of repair units took place in the 2nd Militia Brigade. The deployment of mobile vehicle repair workshops in the field, evacuation of damaged vehicles and cross-country movement were practiced.
Tactical and special training was held in the military unit 7434 of the Internal Troops. Their purpose was to inspect the readiness of the servicemen to act for the protection and defense of Belarus NPP. The soldiers practiced the algorithm of suppressing the activities of sabotage and reconnaissance groups trying to penetrate the protected facilities.
Military equipment
The State Authority for Military Industry has completed qualification tests of the 122-mm BM-21B BelGrad-2 MLRS, developed by the 2566th Radio-Electronic Weapons Repair Plant. The tests confirmed that the characteristics of the BM-21B meet the requirements of the design documentation and that the combat vehicle is ready for serial production for further delivery to the Belarusian Armed Forces within the State Defense Order.
An enterprise of the State Authority for Military Industry has completed state tests of self-propelled artillery gun control sets, based on the results of which the products were adopted by the order of the Minister of Defense of Belarus. The set provides for a 1.5-2 times reduction in the time required to perform a firing task.
Eight pieces of ground maintenance equipment were purchased for the 50th combined air base (Machulishchy airfield). The purchase may be related to plans to increase the number of aircraft of the Belarusian Air Force, which will be deployed at Machulishchy airfield.
According to state media, the 377th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment of the Belarusian Armed Forces will be rearmed with modern air defense systems. The regiment will receive S-400, Tor-M2 and Pantsir-S1 SAM systems.
Other
The command of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Forces is planning to purchase 1000 airfield slabs to repair the runways at Machulishchy and Baranavichy airfields. The quantity of plates to be purchased for Machulishchy airfield should be enough to replace about 150 meters of runway pavement.
The media spread information that the French intelligence was monitoring “the build-up of Russian forces in Belarus.” The information turned out to be fake and doesn’t correspond to reality.
