Review of military events in Belarus on June 17-23
Combat training, activities of the Internal Troops and territorial defense.
On June 18, a meeting of the Security Council was held. During the meeting, a draft normative legal act on the assessment of the state of national security was considered. Samples of new uniform items for military personnel were also demonstrated.
On June 21, another inspection of units of the Belarusian Armed Forces began to verify their readiness to perform their assigned tasks. The inspection is being carried out in Homiel and Brest regions and is a “response” to the increase in the Ukrainian military group near the border with Belarus.
The Vitsiaz special forces detachment was formed on the basis of the 7th Militia Brigade of the Internal Troops. In August 2024, personnel of the 15th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade will perform combat launches at Russia’s Ashuluk training ground.
Combat readiness inspection
On June 20, the State Border Committee of Belarus said that an “increase in the group of Ukrainian armed formations, including special operations forces and special units of the Main Directorate of Intelligence” was recorded in the area of responsibility of the Zhytomyr border detachment of the State Border Service of Ukraine. It was separately noted that the units concentrated on the “contiguous territory” are armed with Western-made equipment (including M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, M142 HIMARS MLRS, M777 155-mm towed howitzers, Gepard anti-aircraft launchers, etc.).
In response to the concentration of the military group, the Border Guard Service of Belarus is carrying out a reinforced service on the border with Ukraine. Together with the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, it reacts to the changing situation “by increasing the density of state border protection.” Additional activities on reconnaissance and control of the state border regime are carried out. The actions to ensure border security are carried out in close cooperation with units of the Belarusian Armed Forces and are aimed at “preventing the escalation of the situation on the border and preventing provocations.”
The next day, June 21, it became known about the beginning of a sudden readiness inspection of formations and military units of the Belarusian Armed Forces to carry out the assigned tasks. According to Pavel Muraveika, chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces, the inspection is of a comprehensive nature and involves the interaction of various forces.
1) Units of the Special Operations Forces were tasked with moving to the assigned areas, organizing their engineering equipment and creating a system of barriers. Subsequently, they are to be ready to search for, destroy and block sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the conditional enemy, to serve at checkpoints, to respond promptly and reach the assigned areas.
2) Units of the Missile and Artillery Troops equipped with Polonez and BM-21 Grad MLRS covered by units of the Special Operations Forces were tasked to covertly occupy the assigned areas and go on combat duty.
3) Units of the Anti-Aircraft Missile Troops are to move into new position areas and go on combat duty to cover important facilities in the threatened areas.
4) Within the inspection, aviation will operate comprehensively and will perform the tasks of delivery and landing of assault groups to threatened areas, support of the ground group in ground operations, as well as carrying and providing fighter air cover of important facilities within the air defense system.
UAVs and electronic warfare (EW) forces and means will also be actively used during the inspection. It is planned to practice the methods of operation of ground groups in forested and swampy terrain.
The inspection will involve training grounds and terrain in Brest and Homiel regions. Given the geography of the inspection, it can be assumed that the inspection is a “response” to the alleged build-up of the Ukrainian military group on the border with Belarus. It is known that units of the 15th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, the 51st Artillery Brigade, the 336th Rocket Artillery Brigade and the 38th Air Assault Brigade are involved in the inspection so far.
Combat training
A tactical and specialty training was conducted with engineering units of the armed forces of the CIS member states at the training ground of the 2nd Engineering Brigade. During the training, demining of settlements and terrain by joint demining units of the armed forces of the CIS member states was practiced. Servicemen from Belarus, Russia and Uzbekistan took part in the training.
On June 17-19, a training session with officers of the financial and economic department of the Northwestern Operational Command and enlisted personnel (conscripts assigned to military units in advance for wartime service) was held under the leadership of the head of the Main Financial and Economic Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus. The purpose of the training session was to improve the forms and methods of financial support during the practical performance of duties in the field. During the training session, servicemen practiced the performance of functional duties under conditions of exposure to a conditional enemy.
On June 18, a training with the military team of fire protection and rescue operations was held at the 61st Fighter Air Base on the topic “Extinguishing fires on aircraft.”
Comprehensive combat training exercises were held at the Brestski training ground with units of the 38th Air Assault Brigade, including specialty, firearms and tactical training.
On June 18, a review of readiness for the upcoming combat training exercises of the 105th Separate Mechanized Battalion of the 11th Mechanized Brigade took place.
Tactical training exercises were held with servicemen of the 1st Radio-Technical Center of the 1052nd Separate Radio-Technical Battalion under the guidance of military instructors from the 174th Damanava Air Force and Air Defense Forces training ground. During the exercises, the servicemen practiced redeployment to the battlefield and learned how to make decisions in various tactical episodes.
On June 18-19, a commission of the Western Operational Command inspected the 111th Artillery Brigade. Representatives of the command inspected the readiness of one of the howitzer divizions to perform the assigned tasks.
Professional training exercises were held for commanders of units of the 8th Radio-Technical Brigade. The main topics of the exercises were the loading of military equipment onto railway transport and the organization of curfew service when military cargo trains are en route. The servicemen also strengthened their knowledge of detecting aircraft and setting tasks for the on-duty combat crew.
A comprehensive tactical training with soldiers of one of the mechanized battalions of the 6th Mechanized Brigade and personnel of the Hrodna Border Guard Group was completed. During the training, the servicemen served at checkpoints, and also fully performed a number of joint tasks to protect the state border.
In August 2024, personnel of one of the units of the 15th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade will perform combat launches at the Russian Ashuluk training ground. The Anti-Aircraft Missile Troops of Belarus conduct annual drills at the Russian Ashuluk and Telemba training grounds, during which they carry out combat launches.
Additional training of drivers from among the new recruits has been completed in a number of military units of the Belarusian Armed Forces. It ended with tactical and specialty training with a 50-kilometer march. During the march, the drivers drove on restricted roads, practiced overcoming contaminated terrain, guarding the camping area and repelling an attack on the convoy.
International cooperation
On June 17, the Department of International Military Cooperation held an accreditation meeting with Bassam Hamidi, military attache at the Embassy of Syria in Belarus, as well as a meeting with Bassam Al-Awam on the occasion of the completion of his mission as a military diplomat in Belarus. At the event, the parties exchanged views on the international agenda, discussed the current state of military cooperation between the defense departments of the countries and the upcoming plans and opportunities for their implementation.
On June 20, as part of the development of military cooperation between Belarus and Saudi Arabia, the head of the Department of International Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus met with representatives of the Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The parties discussed the prospects for the development of interaction and the possibility of putting the relations on a planned basis.
On June 20, a meeting of the Coordination Committee of Chiefs of Engineering Troops of the Armed Forces of the CIS member states took place. The participants discussed topical issues of engineering support, including humanitarian demining.
Military commissariats and territorial defense
During the week, it was reported that exercises were conducted with the Regional Defense Councils of Mahiliou region. The exercises were held in Mstislaul, Mahiliou, Chavusy, Kastsyukovichy and Klimavichy districts. They discussed, among other things, the issues of increasing the number of national home guard detachments. Also, an inspection of the mobilization readiness of the center for notification and collection of reservists, as well as trainings with the administration of the notification headquarters were held in Mahiliou district.
On June 19, a training with the facilities of the mobilization base was held at the military commissariat of Frunzenski district of Minsk.
In July, a training session with conscripts of the territorial troops will be held in Vitsiebsk district. It is planned to draft 110 reservists to the training session. Vitsiebsk district will become the tenth region of Belarus to hold drills with the territorial defense since the beginning of the year.
Internal Troops
On June 16, regular combat training exercises were held with the Chest’ special forces detachment (the detachment consists of volunteers – members of the Chest’ Association of Veterans of the Special Operations Forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs). The exercises focused on engineering and tactical training. After the training, the commander of the Internal Troops Karpiankou met with the reservists. During the meeting, they discussed the prospects for the development of volunteer units of the Internal Troops, including technical equipment and armament of the Chest’ special forces detachment, additional training of specialists in narrow areas and other issues.
On June 18, the Vitsiaz special forces detachment was opened in Vitsiebsk. Officially, the unit’s tasks are to conduct combat operations, fight sabotage and reconnaissance groups and illegal armed groups, as well as to strengthen the protection of the state border. The unit is part of the 7th militia brigade of the Internal Troops (military unit 5524), and will be deployed in Vitsiebsk and Polatsk.
The Vitsiaz special forces detachment became the thirteenth such unit in the Internal Troops structure. The unit is armed with the Volat V1 armored vehicles, the Groza-Z1 UAV protection system, anti-tank missile systems, pickup trucks, ATVs, UAVs of various types, 82-mm mortars, AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers, SPG-9 anti-tank grenade launchers, etc.
In the near future, the Vitsiaz detachment will go to the training center of the Internal Troops to undergo a combat coordination course. The unit will also undergo a training course with instructors from the Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR) on the specifics of actions in urban conditions and transport.
On June 21, the regular training course for company and battalion commanders of military units of the Internal Troops under the guidance of PMC Wagner mercenaries was completed. The main topic of the training course was personnel management. In addition, the issues of artillery functioning, organization of communication, actions in a settlement and in the forest were discussed. The main focus was on practical training, especially on establishing the work of different combat units (for example, interaction between assault groups, UAV operators and artillery).
On June 21, the combat coordination course of the Tsiklon special forces detachment was completed. The training was conducted under the guidance of experienced instructors (PMC Wagner mercenaries). It was reported that in four weeks the soldiers of the unit have improved the interaction of assault units, medics, snipers, machine gunners, fire support groups, UAV operators, which allows them to perform the most complex tasks both in urban and wooded areas. The servicemen gained “invaluable experience in combat and assault training.” It was noted that the intensity of training in this area will only increase in the future.
Rearmament
The State Authority for Military Industry continues testing the prototype of the Volat V-2 armored personnel carrier developed by the Minsk Wheeled Tractor Plant in the interests of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus. During the regular tests, the capabilities of the armored personnel carrier to overcome water obstacles were tested. The prototype passed the tests and confirmed the drifting and maneuvering characteristics on the water as specified by the customer and implemented by the designers.
The Ministry of Defense of Belarus is planning new purchases of UAVs for the army. By the end of 2024, the Ministry is planning to purchase four Autel EVO MAX 4T, four Autel EVO MAX 4N Standard Bundle and one Autel Dragonfish Standard. The manufacturer of all these drones is the American Autel Robotics company.
Most likely, the planned purchase of UAVs is an “installation batch” supplied for the initial stage of operation. This is indicated, among other things, by the small number of purchased equipment. We can state that every year the number of UAVs purchased for the needs of the army increases, and their nomenclature expands.
Other
On June 17, cadets of the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School arrived in Belarus to participate in the military parade on July 3. Also, servicemen from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan arrived in Belarus to participate in the parade.
On June 18, a meeting of the Security Council was held. At the meeting, the draft decree on the assessment of the state of national security was considered. The need to develop the document arose due to the adoption of a new National Security Concept in April 2024. The draft document defines the main indicators and criteria for assessing the state of national security in nine areas. Special attention is paid to the issues of biological security. Following a meeting of the Security Council, the draft decree was approved. Before adoption, it will be adjusted taking into account the discussions. The document under development is secret and won’t be published.
Also, during the meeting of the Security Council, Lukashenka was shown promising models of new items of uniforms for servicemen. Among other things, it is planned to include tactical shirts, fleece jackets and mufflers for combat uniforms, as well as a dress (for women) into the norms of providing military uniforms. It was reported that the changes are due to “global trends, transformation of the tasks performed by servicemen.” It is expected that the new uniforms will be delivered to the troops in the third or fourth quarter of 2024 – after the adoption of the necessary regulatory and local legal acts.
On June 19-21, an international exhibition “National Security. Belarus-2024” was held in Minsk. The exhibition was held for the second time.
KB Radar demonstrated its new developments to combat UAVs at the exhibition. These include the modernized Groza-R2 radio-electronic gun for combating UAVs (in addition to suppressing UAV control, data transmission and navigation channels, the gun has the function of UAV detection and direction finding), the Dronoskop system (enables the disclosure of information on the coordinates and flight parameters of commercial DJI UAVs) and the Shapel UAV signal detector and direction finder (provides the operator with information on the direction of UAV approach).
Also, the LEMT Scientific and Technical Center of BelOMO demonstrated a prototype of the Phoenix laser mobile system for combating UAVs at the exhibition. The system includes a high-precision laser weapon with a power of 3 kW. It detects targets with the help of a locator, directs optics there, the operator selects the target and gives a command to destroy it. It is planned to “release a combat version” of the system on the market in 2025.
According to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of June 19, No. 434, the Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy (DOSAAF) was allocated additional funds to “ensure mobilization training and mobilization.” In particular, the society received about $1.2 million for the purchase of aviation equipment.
On June 21, another graduation of officers of the General Staff Faculty of the Armed Forces took place. In total, more than 150 officers of the operational-strategic and operational-tactical level received master’s degree diplomas. Among the graduates are officers of the Belarusian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Border Committee, as well as officers of the security agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The documents from 2020, which confirm the maintenance and repair of the V-300 Polonez-M MLRS of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, became publicly available. Azerbaijan bought a batch of systems (one divizion) from Belarus back in 2018.