Review of military events in Belarus on March 18-24
Combat training, activities of the Internal Troops and territorial defense.
During the combat readiness inspection of the Belarusian Armed Forces, the expansion of the 19th Mechanized Brigade to wartime staff number continued. Also, units of the Western Operational Command, the 120th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade and a special forces medical unit are taking part in the inspection.
Other combat training activities include battalion tactical drills with the 103rd Airborne Brigade, tactical drills with the 115th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, and practicing the use of Krasnopol adjustable artillery shells.
Repair units of the Special Operations Forces received new equipment. The Ministry of Defense of Belarus is planning to purchase another batch of Supercam S350 drones.
International cooperation
The visit of the Belarusian military delegation headed by Chief of the General Staff Viktar Hulevich continued. During the visit, negotiations with the Minister of Defense of Cuba and the Chief of the General Staff took place. The parties exchanged views on the issues of deepening mutually beneficial areas of military cooperation and confirmed their interest in further strengthening of the Belarus-Cuba partnership.
Combat readiness inspection
The combat readiness inspection of the Belarusian Armed Forces, which began on March 11, continued. The 19th Mechanized Brigade still plays the main role in the ongoing inspection. Part of the brigade’s units are still stationed in Ashmiany district. The military equipped roadblocks and checkpoints, where they serve together with the border guard bodies.
The draft of conscripts was completed to staff the 19th Brigade. A total of about 5000 reservists were drafted, which will allow to deploy the brigade to wartime staffing strength. Training on basic combat training disciplines is being conducted with the conscripts. The training is conducted by instructors trained in Russia and by mercenaries of PMC Wagner.
A field hospital was deployed at the Lepelski training ground by the special medical unit of the 432nd Main Military Clinical Medical Center of the Armed Forces. The unit fulfills the tasks of medical care of servicemen and conscripts drafted from the reserve. And servicemen of the Minsk Military Commandant’s Office are engaged in maintaining law and order at the locations of deployment of the 19th Mechanized Brigade.
After the brigade is brought to full combat readiness, brigade tactical drills will be held to test the level of training of the units during the performance of combat training tasks.
Some units of the 19th Mechanized Brigade staffed by reservists have begun moving to training grounds for drills. The drills will be held, among other things, on the territory of Pastavy district, bordering Lithuania.
Units of the Western Operational Command also continued to take part in the inspection. Two mechanized battalions, two artillery divizions and a mortar battery are involved in the inspection. In total, about 850-900 personnel, 62 armored combat vehicles, 110 vehicles and 30 artillery systems. We note that on March 20-21, some units participating in the combat readiness inspection were withdrawn from the border with Lithuania.
On March 21, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus reported that some units of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Forces were brought to readiness to perform their assigned tasks. This is about the 120th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade(military unit 96577, Baranavichy). The servicemen loaded equipment on tractor units and went to the assigned area to perform the tasks of combat duty on air defense. The brigade is armed with the Buk SAM system.
The scale of the combat readiness inspection still poses no threat to the countries bordering Belarus.
Combat training
Training on driving combat vehicles was held at the Brestski training ground of the 38th Air Assault Brigade. Servicemen performed a water crossing exercise on the BTR-82A and Kaiman armored personnel carriers.
Field drills with the NCB protection Company of the 6th Mechanized Brigade continues at the Hozhski training ground. As part of the drills, control exercises took place.
Tactical drills were held during the field drills of the 350th Artillery Group of the 6th Mechanized Brigade with a howitzer battery (2S1 Gvozdika). The focus was on counter-battery combat, active relocation of artillery units, and fire adjustment using UAVs. The servicemen also practiced artillery reconnaissance.
Servicemen of the mortar battery of the 841st Artillery Group continue their combat training as part of field drills. During night exercises, the use of standard systems in conditions of limited visibility was practiced. The 2S1 Gvozdika howitzer battery also underwent control exercises on special training.
Tactical and special drills are being conducted with the field communications node of the 56th Signal Regiment as part of field drills. The purpose of the drills is to test the level of training of personnel and the readiness of communications equipment to perform the assigned tasks. During control exercises held prior to the drills, the regiment’s personnel performed the tasks of moving to areas where communications nodes are deployed.
A camp training session continues at the Hozhski training ground with servicemen of the engineering units of the Western Operational Command. Fortification equipment of strongholds and the detonation of various constructions were practiced at the training session. Reconnaissance and diving units were also trained.
Combat training continues with servicemen of the 105th Separate Mechanized Battalion of the 11th Mechanized Brigade as part of field drills at the Obuz-Liasnouski training ground.
On March 19, tactical drills began with one of the divizions of the 120th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. During the maneuvers, servicemen are improving their skills and practicing new methods of countering UAVs. When marching to a new position area, countering a sabotage and reconnaissance group was practiced.
On March 20-22, tactical drills were conducted with the second divizion of the 115th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment as part of field drills. The divizion moved to a new position area as part of the drills, where it went on combat duty. In cooperation with the electronic warfare unit, the personnel countered UAVs and the actions of a sabotage and reconnaissance group.
Field drills with one of the divizions of the 15th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade are being conducted. The main efforts are aimed at improving knowledge and skills, as well as practicing the standards for combat training disciplines in the field.
On March 19, as part of the field drills of the 111th Artillery Brigade and its cannon divizion, a special training with live firing took place at the Obuz-Liasnouski training ground. During the training, the artillerymen were shown how to act based on the experience of the war in Ukraine. Particular attention was paid to the issues of counter-battery warfare, as well as fire adjustment with the use of UAVs. The construction of dugouts for personnel accommodation was also practiced.
On March 21, a comprehensive tactical training with live firing was conducted at the 227th combined arms training ground with the 355th Tank Battalion of the 120th Mechanized Brigade. The servicemen occupied a staging area, camouflaged their equipment and organized their accommodation. Subsequently, firing exercises were carried out using the armament of T-72B tanks from closed firing positions at a range of up to 10 km.
Battalion tactical drills are being held at the Losvida training ground with units of the 103rd Airborne Brigade. During the drills, practical actions and tactical elements are practiced, taking into account the experience of the war in Ukraine.
Tactical drills with live firing were conducted with the heavy howitzer artillery divizion of the 51st Artillery Brigade at the Asipovichski training ground. During the drills, the issues of reconnaissance, occupation of firing positions and preparation for firing were practiced. During the drills, they practiced hitting a target with the Krasnopol adjustable artillery shell using target designations from the Russian-made Orlan-30 UAV.
On March 21, as part of tactical special training, servicemen of the 7th Engineering Regiment set up a crossing across the Biarezina river. During the training, they practiced covert movement, terrain reconnaissance, preparation and deployment of a pontoon bridge and its guarding.
A special tactical training is being held in the 250th Separate Guard and Service Battalion. As part of the training, the battalion marched to the Hozhski training ground, where it deployed command posts.
One of the battalions of the 127th Signal Brigade (territorial) held a comprehensive tactical and special training, during which the deployment of control centers for the repair of communications equipment was practiced.
A joint training session between the 22nd Separate Special Forces Company of the Belarusian Armed Forces and the Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR) of the Internal Troops was completed. During the training, they practiced issues of interaction in the joint conduct of counter-sabotage operations. The servicemen exchanged experience of operations in a forested and swampy area and in a settlement.
As part of tactical and special training, the 74th Separate Signal Regiment marched to the areas of task fulfillment. Upon arrival in the areas, the personnel deployed communications systems to perform the task of providing communications under various conditions.
A camp training session with artillery and missile units of the Northwestern Operational Command is conducted at the Asipovichski training ground. The experience of the war in Ukraine is taken into account during combat training activities, and new means of communication are widely used. The use of reconnaissance equipment, primarily aircraft-type drones and quadcopters, has also reached a new level.
Military commissariats and territorial defense
It was reported that military commissariats conducted training on the organization of the work of the center for notification and collection of conscripts, as well as with the administration of the notification headquarters.
On March 19, representatives of the 46th arsenal of missiles and ammunition conducted a study of conscripts selected for a military training session at the military commissariat of Drahichyn district. It is planned to draft at least 10 reservists to the training session.
It was reported that a military training session was held at the anti-aircraft missile-artillery divizion and the 841st Artillery Group of the 11th Mechanized Brigade. At least 19 reservists were drafted to the training session in these units. The military commissariats of Brest region and Minsk also sent 17 reservists to military training sessions.
As part of the combat readiness inspection of the 19th Mechanized Brigade, the military commissariats of Vitsiebsk and Minsk regions drafted more than 5000 conscripts for training sessions.
On March 19, the military commissariat of Brest city and Brest district held an open mobile trial to consider a criminal case of evasion from conscription (p.1 Art.435 of the Criminal Code of Belarus). The court found the conscript guilty and sentenced him to 3 months of arrest.
On March 20-22, a joint mobilization training was held in Brest region. The training involved the personnel of the military commissariats of the region. The purpose of the training was to improve the knowledge and skills of officials in the issues of notification and conscription of persons liable for military service. Within the framework of the training, exercises with conscripts were conducted.
On March 21, an open mobile trial was held in the military commissariat of Krychau district, where a criminal case on evasion of conscription for active military service (p.1 Art.435 of the Criminal Code of Belarus) was considered. The court found the conscript guilty and sentenced him to 2 months of arrest.
On March 22, another such case was considered in the military commissariat of Ivatsevichy district. The court found the conscript guilty and sentenced him to 3 months of arrest.
On March 22, an open mobile trial was held in the military commissariat of Brest city and Brest district district, where a criminal case on evasion of conscription for active military service (p.1 Art.435 of the Criminal Code of Belarus) was considered. The court found the conscript guilty and sentenced him to 1.6 years of imprisonment.
Internal Troops
A training and methodological session with company commanders of military units of the Internal Troops was conducted at the training center of the Internal Troops. During the training, the officers practiced searching for and eliminating sabotage and reconnaissance groups in a wooded area, actions in case of detection, attempted breakthrough and enemy withdrawal. The company commanders specifically focused on the methodology of conducting comprehensive training with conscripts on combat training disciplines.
PMC Wagner
From July 2023 to March 2024, more than two thousand servicemen and cadets of the Faculty of the Internal Troops underwent training with PMC Wagner mercenaries. The mercenaries continue to train servicemen of the Belarusian Armed Forces and the Internal Troops.
Military equipment
New equipment was handed over to the repair units of the Special Operations Forces at the 103rd Airborne Brigade. A total of seven pieces of equipment were handed over: REM-KL repair and evacuation vehicles and Russian-made MTO-UB1 maintenance workshops.
According to the state procurement plan for 2024, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus is planning to purchase 13 Supercam S350 UAVs or their analogues. The procurement should take place between March and December. It is likely that at least part of the drones planned for purchase will be sent to artillery units. Earlier it was reported that it is planned to establish UAV detachments in some artillery brigades in 2024.
Other
On March 18, servicemen of the tank battalion of one of the mechanized brigades of the Belarusian Armed Forces went to the 333rd combat training center (Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod oblast, Russia) for joint training with servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces. This is not the first group of the Belarusian military trained in the 333rd center. Previously, servicemen of motorized rifle and tank units of the Belarusian Armed Forces have already been trained there. Usually, the training course lasted about a month.
The flight restriction zone for all types of civil aircraft (including UAVs) in the south of Belarus has been extended in accordance with NOTAMN O0159/24 from 00:00 of April 1 to June 30. The ban on flights over the southern part of Belarus was introduced on February 24, 2022, with the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This means that the potential threat of missile strikes from the territory of Belarus still exists.