Review of military events in Belarus on December 9-15
Combat training, activities of the Internal Troops and territorial defense.
During the week, about 9 Russian drones of the Shahed type flew into Belarus. Most of them subsequently flew to Ukraine. Attempts to shoot down the drones using missile weapons were reported.
At the end of November, a Belarusian delegation visited Bryansk region. During the visit, the officials of the regional executive committees and the military studied the procedure of erection and maintenance of defense structures.
In 2024, a record plan for conscription of reserve officers was set – 1,000 people. The same number of reserve officers were drafted from 2016 to 2023.
On December 10, the 9M318 anti-aircraft guided missile for the Buk-MB2 SAM system was tested at the “Palesski” site. And on December 14, it was reported that the Sapfir grenade launcher system was tested.
Oreshnik missile system in Belarus
On December 10, Aliaksandr Lukashenka said that the launcher in the Russian Oreshnik missile system is made in Belarus – at the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant. According to the politician, “The entire launching system in Oreshnik is Belarusian. Except for the missile. Localization is the highest.” Elaborating on the idea, Lukashenka added, “Of course, we will make the launching unit for ourselves. But the Russians will supply us with the missile for free. The second half [of 2025] year. We are waiting. We will see what we will get out of it.”
Speaking about the locations for deployment of the Oreshnik missile system, Lukashenka said the following, “All this has been thought over today. We are now thinking about where, at what sites to deploy this weapon. We have saved the sites for strategic nuclear missiles. We have around three dozen of such sites. We will choose one because it should be the minimum distance from the targets. We will deploy and aim them.”
Nuclear weapons in Belarus
On December 10, Aliaksandr Lukashenka announced the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus. The politician said, “I brought nuclear warheads [to Belarus]. More than a dozen of them. Many people write: ‘Ah, it’s a joke, no one has brought anything.’ We did. And the fact that they [opponents] say it’s a joke means that they missed it. They didn’t even notice us bringing them in.” Currently, there are no facts that would confirm the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus.
International cooperation
On December 9-13, a working meeting of representatives of the armed forces of Belarus and Uzbekistan was held in Minsk. During the meeting, the parties discussed cooperation in the field of logistics support for the armed forces of the two countries and prospects for further development of mutually beneficial bilateral relations. As part of the visit, the Uzbek delegation visited the 30th Railway Brigade of the Belarusian Armed Forces.
On December 12, it was reported that the 22nd meeting of the Expert Working Group under the Meeting of Defense Ministers of the SCO member states was held in Beijing. A delegation of the Belarusian Armed Forces took part in the event. The meeting discussed the implementation of the proposals on improving SCO military coordination put forward during the 21st meeting, as well as the work plan of the Expert Working Group under the SCO Defense Ministers’ Meeting for 2025.
On December 13, it was reported about the visit of a Nicaraguan delegation to Belarus. During the visit, First Deputy Chairman of the State Authority for Military Industry Aleh Mishchankoamet with Laureano Facundo Ortega Murillo, Advisor to the President of Nicaragua on Investment, Trade and International Cooperation. During the meeting, the parties discussed promising areas of military-technical cooperation.
Combat training
On December 9, it was reported that a training session with UAV operators was held at the 38th Air Assault Brigade. Participants practiced conducting aerial reconnaissance and adjusting artillery strikes. Special attention was paid to the operation of UAVs in conditions of electronic interference and the experience of their use in modern armed conflicts. It was noted ,“The range of tasks to be accomplished with the help of unmanned aviation is constantly expanding, specialized units are being created and modern high-tech models are being put into service.”
On December 10, it was reported that the personnel of the 841st Artillery Group of the 11th Mechanized Brigade marched to the Obuz-Liasnouski training ground, where field drills will be held. Special exercises are being conducted with howitzer and rocket artillery units at the training ground.
On December 12, it was reported that tactical exercises were held with soldiers of the 11th Mechanized Brigade on the basis of the “Resistance Node” of the Kobryn Fortified Area (Zhabinka district). During the exercises, they practiced clearing trenches and communication routes.
Flights of Russian drones into Belarus
On December 12 and 13, at least 8 Russian UAVs of the Shahed type flew into the airspace of Belarus from Ukraine. Later, some of them flew to Ukraine. Fighters of the Belarusian Air Force were used to intercept the UAVs. Attempts were made to shoot down UAVs using missile weapons.
On December 15, at least one Russian UAV of the Shahed type flew into the airspace of Belarus from Ukraine. The Belarusian Air Force was not used to intercept it.
In total, about 9 Russian UAVs of the Shahed type flew into Belarus on December 9-15.
Rearmament. Work of the military-industrial complex
On December 10, tests of the 9M318 anti-aircraft guided missile for the Buk-MB2 SAM system were conducted at the “Palesski” site (former 41st Merlinski aviation training ground). An additional flight restriction zone was introduced in the south of Belarus for the tests on December 8-20. It was reported that the 9M318 missile is designed to defeat high-speed maneuvering aerodynamic targets (UAVs), missiles of various types, helicopters and surface targets. The tests were conducted in close proximity to the border with Ukraine. For this reason, an air raid alert went off in the northern regions of the country on December 10.
On December 11, it was reported about the supply of another battery of the Tor-M2K SAM system to the troops. It is known that the equipment is in service with the 15th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, and will “protect the air borders” of Minsk. It was noted that the Tor-M2K SAM systems “firmly fit into the overall air defense system of Belarus.” The systems are on round-the-clock duty, guarding Minsk and strategically important facilities (e.g., Belarusian NPP). According to Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces Andrei Lukyanovich, more than 40 models of weapons, military and special equipment were supplied to the troops in 2024.
On December 12, it was reported that ALEVKURP OJSC transferred the PU-12ML mobile control stations to a foreign customer. The product provides reception, processing, display and analysis of information about the air situation, automatic target distribution between units, etc. The PU-12ML equipment allows simultaneous tracking of up to 150 air objects with coordinates update rate from 5 to 20 seconds. The control center is based on the MAZ-6317 chassis, equipped with life support and autonomous power supply systems. The PU-12ML can be interfaced with Vostok-E, P-18, P-19 radars and their modifications.
On December 12, the 2566th Radio-Electronic Weapons Repair Plant performed a live firing of the BM-21B Belgrad-2 MLRS at the Asipovichski training ground. The live firing was carried out as part of periodic tests to confirm the quality of the production of a batch of products and the possibility of their further production according to the developed technical documentation. The recorded results of the live firing confirmed that the characteristics of the serially produced Belgrad-2 meet the technical specifications for their manufacture.
On December 14, it was reported that the State Authority for Military Industry together with the Ministry of Defense of Belarus conducted firing tests of the Sapfir grenade launcher system at the Barysauski training ground. The system is designed to combat armored vehicles, defeat the enemy’s manpower located in bunkers, light field shelters and residential buildings. The tests became the next stage of the grenade launcher’s adoption by the Belarusian Armed Forces. According to the results of the tests, Sapfir confirmed its stated characteristics. It was noted that based on the features of the Sapfir grenade launcher system (electronic launch control system and programmable explosive device), there is a potential to adapt the system “to combat modules, robotic firing systems and UAVs.”
Infrastructure development
At the end of November, the Belarusian delegation visited Pochep (a district center in Bryansk region). The delegation consisted of the chairmen of the Brest and Homel regional executive committees, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus and the General Staff of Belarus. During the visit, Belarusian officials and military studied the order of erection and maintenance of defensive structures, the cost of construction, the order of organization of works and other issues. The construction of the fortified areas, unofficially named “Khrenin’s line” (after the name of the Belarusian Defense Minister), began in Belarus in 2023.
Military commissariats. Territorial defense
On December 10, exercises with reserve officers of territorial defense authorities and military units of territorial defense forces of Vitsiebsk were held at the military commissariat of Vitsiebsk, Vitsiebsk and Liozna districts. During the exercises, they considered the organization of maintenance and accounting of personnel, accounting and storage of weapons (ammunition) in the units of the territorial troops.
On December 13, it became known that a plan to draft 1,000 reserve officers was set for 2024. Recall that at the end of April 2024, Decree No. 179 “On conscription of reserve officers for military service” was published. The document stipulated that in 2024, reserve officers who had graduated from the military department and had not completed compulsory military service would be drafted to serve in the Belarusian Armed Forces and the Border Guard Service. The peculiarity of the document was that the number of officers to be drafted was classified.
Internal Troops
On December 8, regular exercises were held with the Chest special forces detachment. During the tactical training, small combat groups practiced the tactics of capturing and holding engineering defensive fortifications. The first combat training exercise for a women’s group took place at one of the training sites. Most of its participants are wives of active servicemen and veterans of special operations units. At the sapper-engineering exercises, the group continued to study explosive devices and how to detect and neutralize them. At the UAV countermeasures exercises, the group of operators continued to work with UAVs and with simulators for FPV drones.
On December 13, it was reported that a group of trainees of the junior officer training course, consisting of members of the Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR), began “practical improvement of their professional skills.” They performed a stealthy approach to a building, its clearing, actions of a small tactical group when evacuating a wounded person with a firing task, reconnaissance with the help of UAVs.
On December 14, the first medical training of the Chest special forces detachment was held on the basis of the Belarusian Red Cross Society. After learning the theoretical basics of first aid, the group started practicing basic first aid skills.
Border guard authorities
On December 13, State Secretary of the Security Council Aliaksandr Valfovich visited a section of the state border with Ukraine in Brest region. During the visit, a sudden inspection of one of the units of the maneuvering group of the Brest border guard group was inspected. According to Valfovich, about 20 violations of the state border by various drones were recorded in 2024.
Amendments to legislation
On December 9, Defense Minister Viktar Khrenin took part in a meeting of the expert council at the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly. Khrenin presented a draft decree correcting Decree No. 719 of December 7, 2006 “Issues of the central bodies of military administration of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus.” The document is aimed at bringing the Regulations on the Ministry of Defense of Belarus and the General Staff in line with the Military Doctrine. Among other things, it specifies the principle of distribution of powers of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus and the General Staff on the issues of ensuring military security and defense.
On December 13, the Security Council held a meeting to approve the Defense Plan of Belarus for 2026-2030. According to Pavel Muraveika, Chief of the General Staff of Belarus, “This is a systematic document, which is the foundation of strategic defense planning.” The document presents five main strategic directions: 1) reducing the level of military danger and preventing military conflicts (actions to be taken in the political, economic, information and military spheres to ensure this); 2) preparing the state for defense, covering all spheres, from the economy to the military sphere; 3) options for the armed defense of the country in various modern conflicts; 4) preparing the economy of the state and the state as a whole to function under conditions of military operations; 5) maintaining international peace and security and elimination of various phenomena that may affect the security of our country.