Review of military events in Belarus on July 22-28
Combat training, activities of the Internal Troops and territorial defense.
Tactical drills were held in the 49th Radio-Technical Brigade under the guidance of the Chief of the Radio-Technical Troops. During the drills, they practiced improving the survivability of command posts and personnel, as well as the redeployment of units.
Other combat training activities included field drills in air defense units and Missile and Artillery Troops, as well as command-staff drills in the 11th Mechanized Brigade.
On July 25, a training session on the participation of internal affairs bodies in the formation of national home guard detachments was held. In August-September, a training session with conscripts of the territorial troops will be held in Kamianiets district (Brest region).
International cooperation
On July 25-27, a military delegation of the Arab Republic of Egypt led by the Deputy Commander of the Air Defense Forces visited Belarus. The official part of the visit started with a meeting between the head of the Egyptian military delegation and the Deputy Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of Belarus. The delegation visited air defense units of the Belarusian Armed Forces.
Combat training
On July 16, field drills began at the 814th Technical Support Center. The event is aimed at developing practical skills and improving the combat readiness of the center’s personnel. During the field drills, servicemen are engaged in the maintenance and repair of military equipment in the field, practicing the deployment and operation of technical means, as well as coordination between units.
On July 21, servicemen of the 38th Air Assault Brigade arrived at their permanent deployment point after participating in the “Pinnacle of Brotherhood-2024” drills.
Soldiers of the pontoon bridge battalion of the 188th Engineering Brigade are at field drills. The personnel of the pontoon company are conducting a tactical and specialty training on setting up a pontoon crossing on the Dnieper river.
Comprehensive combat readiness exercises have been completed in the 120th Mechanized Brigade. The units practiced the issues of bringing their units to the highest levels of combat readiness, staffing, obtaining materiel reserves, and guarding and defending facilities. Commanders improved their skills in managing subordinate units during their transfer to wartime.
Tactical drills were held in the 49th Radio-Technical Brigade under the guidance of the Chief of the Radio-Technical Troops. During the drills, the issues of improving the survivability of command posts and personnel, as well as the redeployment of units, were practiced. During the drills, the units marched to new areas and began to perform combat duty tasks. A mobile command post was promptly deployed in one of the areas. The drills took place in an environment of active confrontation with unmanned aviation and sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the conditional enemy. Car tires were used to increase the survivability of units and protect military equipment from FPV drone strikes.
According to the commander of the 49th Radio Technical Brigade, during the drills, issues based on the experience of the war in Ukraine were practiced: “We are practicing such issues as preserving the survivability of personnel, preserving equipment in conditions of active impact of drones, active impact of unmanned aerial vehicles. We also carry out activities with a wide application of maneuvers, active use of the maneuvers of forces and means.”
A methodological training session for the engineering and technical staff of military units of the Belarusian Armed Forces was held at the 72nd training center. Examples of the procedure for transferring military equipment to seasonal operating modes were demonstrated at training sites.
On July 23-24, tactical drills were held with the 111th Artillery Brigade at the Obuz-Liasnouski training ground. During the drills, live firing from closed firing positions was conducted. And on July 25, the brigade’s rocket artillery divizion conducted a test exercise with live firing from Uragan MLRSs.
A training session for reconnaissance surveillance officers of visual observation posts on the specialty “Igla MANPADS anti-aircraft gunner” has been completed at the Damanava training ground. During the training session, the servicemen studied the purpose, tactical and technical characteristics, design and operation of the Igla MANPADS. Practical exercises on a modern electronic simulator were organized for the soldiers.
Mechanized units of the Belarusian Armed Forces are training in a fortified area located in Zhabinka district. The soldiers work in a two-sided confrontation format: some attack, while others hold the defense. During the drills, the servicemen apply tactics of modern combat and use UAVs. Soldiers of the 78th Separate Mechanized Battalion of the 6th Mechanized Brigade take part in the training.
Command-staff drills with the 11th Mechanized Brigade took place in Karelichy and Navahrudak districts (Hrodna region). During the drills, a tactical episode of storming a building and releasing hostages was practiced.
On July 25, tactical specialty exercises “Aid-2024” were held with cadets of the Military Medical Institute on the basis of the Military Academy’s training center. Such exercises help improve the cadets’ practical skills in the deployment of medical evacuation stations, practicing the evacuation of the wounded, sorting and providing various types of medical assistance in the field.
Field drills are being conducted with units of the 147th and 740th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiments. The main attention will be paid to training in preparation of equipment for combat use in modern anti-aircraft combat conditions, improving the skills of personnel in performing their functional duties in combat operations. The field drills will end with tactical drills with live firing.
On July 27, a review of readiness of the 358th Separate Mechanized Battalion of the 120th Mechanized Brigade before the upcoming drills took place. The 202nd Separate Mechanized Battalion of the 6th Mechanized Brigade is conducting field drills at the Hozhski training ground.
Military commissariats and territorial defense
A training session with conscripts of the territorial troops will be held in Kamianets district (Brest region) in August-September. It is planned to draft about 140 reservists.
On July 10, 11 conscripts who had successfully passed the training sessions were awarded military ranks at the military commissariat of Pershamaiski district of Minsk.
During the week, exercises with employees of village executive committees responsible for military registration were held in Malaryta, Biaroza and Ivanava districts of Brest region. During the exercises, the issues of organization of military registration and military record, as well as the organization of the work of the center for notification and collection of conscripts were discussed.
On July 25, a methodological and training session on the participation of internal affairs bodies in the formation of national home guard detachments was held at the Center for Training, Professional Development and Retraining of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Participants studied the actions of volunteers in carrying out the tasks of the national home guard. Among them were document checks, personal searches of citizens and their belongings, pursuit of criminals, protection of infrastructure facilities, inspection of premises and buildings, etc. Employees of the internal affairs directorates of the regional executive committees (Minsk City Executive Committee) shared their experience of participation in the work of local executive committees in preparation for the formation of the national home guard.
Internal Troops
On July 23, another training course for company commanders and their deputies of formations and military units of the Internal Troops under the guidance of PMC Wagner mercenaries was completed. The main topic during the training was the establishment of communication, interaction on the battlefield and transportation of the wounded. Much attention was paid directly to the combat skills of each of the participants. It was noted that a separate direction to upgrade the qualifications of the command staff had already been functioning for several months.
Instructors of the Rys special forces detachment conducted combat training exercises with members of the Chest’ association of veterans of special forces detachments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. During the training, the servicemen performed rifle firing exercises and practiced group actions when storming a trench.
The Buran special forces detachment continues its training. Servicemen are practicing storming trenches, overcoming water obstacles and moving in small groups. Armored vehicles and UAVs are used during the training.
Other
State media: In 2024, more than 300 young Minsk citizens, including about 40 girls, have applied for enrollment into military universities.
On July 25, a meeting of the temporary interdepartmental working group on the development of the Strategy for the Development of Unmanned Systems and the Comprehensive Program for the Development of Unmanned Systems was held at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. The working group is to work out the issues of organizing and scaling up the production of unmanned systems, analyze the existing research and development, determine the directions of improving the regulatory and legal framework, and update the curricula for the training of specialists in the field of design, construction and control of unmanned systems.
A new specialty “Design, construction and operation of unmanned systems” was opened at Belarusian State Technological University. This specialization will prepare specialists in the development and use of UAVs.
The Main Directorate of the Commander of the Internal Troops told about the new combat uniform developed for the special forces units. From the end of 2022 to June 2024, new special forces detachments were established in all regions of Belarus. With the start of the formation of special forces detachments, the development of a full set of gear began immediately. For the first time, the new gear was presented at the military parade on July 3. Currently, uniforms for the entire personnel of the special forces detachments have already been purchased and their gradual provision is underway. The reference was modern combat uniforms of servicemen from Russia and other countries.
On July 27, more than 80 graduates of the military department of Vitsiebsk State University took the military oath.