Review of military events in Belarus on December 11-17
International cooperation, combat training, activities of PMC Wagner, etc.
Last week, a delegation of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan visited Belarus. The parties discussed cooperation in the area of logistics.
It was reported that a combat readiness inspection of a tank battalion of the 6th Mechanized Brigade had begun. During the inspection, the battalion was additionally staffed with persons liable for military service and marched to the Hozhski training ground. It was also reported that the on-duty Air Defense Forces were inspected.
Information was spread that mercenaries of PMC Wagner became members of the Tornado special purpose detachment of the Internal Troops. Currently, there is no sufficient confirmation of this information.
Russia has completed the procedure of ratification of the agreement on the establishment of combat training centers. Information about the rotation of part of the Russian contingent stationed at Mazyr (Bokau) airfield was also confirmed.
International cooperation
On December 12-14, a delegation of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan headed by the Chief of Logistics of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan visited Belarus. During the visit, they discussed issues of bilateral military cooperation in the field of logistics of the Armed Forces of the states. The Kazakh delegation also visited the 2336th clothing storage base.
Combat training
On December 11, a combat readiness inspection of a tank battalion of one of the mechanized brigades began by order of the Commander of the Western Operational Command. We had previously assumed that a combat readiness inspection would be conducted in December. According to available information, a tank battalion of the 6th Mechanized Brigade is involved in the inspection. The battalion’s equipment moved to the Hozhski training ground in a combined manner: some of the tanks were transferred to the training ground by road trains, while some of the equipment marched to the concentration area on its own tracks. During the march, the unit crossed the Nioman river on a pontoon bridge. Coordination is being conducted with the tank crews.
On December 12, units of the 841st Artillery Group went to field drills.
On December 15, a sudden inspection of the on-duty Air Defense Forces began. During the inspection, units of the Anti-Aircraft Missile and Radio-Technical Troops moved to the assigned areas and began to fulfill combat tasks. The S-300 and S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems and the Rosa-RB low-altitude radars were involved. Intensive flights of aircraft and helicopters from all air bases of the Belarusian Air Force were recorded.
A training on the topic “Extinguishing fires on aircraft” was held in the 61st Fighter Air Base in the unit of the military fire protection and rescue team.
Field drills of one of the battalions of the 38th Air Assault Brigade continues at the Brestski training ground. The servicemen are conducting firearms, tactical, engineering and medical trainings, as well as military topography. Coordination of the battalion’s tactical group is conducted together with reinforcement means.
Rearmament. Activity of the military-industrial complex
The head of the Electronic Warfare Directorate of the General Staff said that one of the units would receive a new jamming station by the end of 2023. By 2025, all EW units of the Belarusian Armed Forces will be re-equipped with equipment to fight in the ultra-short wave spectrum.
The State Authority for Military Industry together with the Ministry of Defense conducted final tests of 122-mm rocket projectiles produced in Belarus. As a result of the tests, the projectiles successfully hit their assigned targets and confirmed their characteristics.
PMC Wagner
A number of media outlets and Telegram channels spread information that mercenaries of PMC Wagner became members of the Tornado special purpose detachment. This conclusion was made based on the fact that the symbols of PMC Wagner were placed on one of the pickup trucks and on the flagpole. No other confirming facts were given. It is possible that some of the mercenaries will remain in Belarus and join the security forces of the Lukashenka regime. But it’s incorrect to claim this based only on the use of the symbols of PMC Wagner, popular among security forces, and dubious sources. We should note that some propaganda Telegram channels denied information about the enrollment of mercenaries in the Tornado detachment.
Internal Troops
On December 16, members of the Honor Association of Veterans of Special Forces Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs held firearms, tactical and medical trainings at the training center of the Internal Troops.
Military commissariats
On December 14, under the leadership of Chief of the General Staff Viktar Hulevich, the results of the activities of military commissariats in the 2022/2023 academic year were summarized. According to Hulevich, military commissariats fulfilled the tasks of military mobilization, registration and recruitment work. At the end of 2022, a large-scale verification of military registration data of all persons liable for military service was carried out. Conscription for active military service and service in the reserves was completed on time and in full. The required number of new recruits was sent to staff the troops.
Six reserve officers, who passed a training session, were awarded new military ranks at the military commissariat of Homiel district.
Other
On December 11, it became known about a possible rotation of the contingent, which is located at Mazyr (Bokau) airfield. Later we managed to receive confirmation of this information. It is a normal practice to rotate military contingents outside their home country. We may assume that the rotation involved approximately ⅓ of the contingent at Mazyr (Bokau) airfield.
New facts confirming preparations for the construction of a military town in Homiel district for the Southern Operational Command appeared. A paintball and laser tag club was located on the construction site of the military town. Back in November, the club announced the relocation of its playground. The playground could have been relocated due to the construction of the military town.