Review of military events in Belarus on October 28 – November 3
Combat training, activities of the Internal Troops and territorial defense.
During the week, at least 24 Russian drones of the Shahed-136/131 type flew into Belarus. On November 1, the work of air defense forces on drones was recorded in Mazyr district. In total, about 120 Russian drones flew into the airspace of Belarus from July 11 to November 3. Most of them were Shahed-136/131.
In September 2025, the CSTO drills Interaction-2025, Search-2025 and Echelon-2025 will be held in Belarus. The last time these drills were held on the territory of Belarus was in 2023.
The Ministry of Defense of Belarus is purchasing a batch of Chinese Autel and FIMI drones. A total of 673,977 BYN ($203,883) is planned to be spent on the purchase.
Escalation on the border with Ukraine
On 30 October, it was reported that servicemen of the 103rd Airborne Brigade held a career guidance talk with students of Homiel State Agrarian and Construction College. On October 31, a similar event was held at Homiel State Technical University. And on November 1, at the medical and road-building colleges of Homiel.
International cooperation
On October 29-31, representatives of the Military Medical Department of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan paid a working visit to Minsk. During the visit, they discussed the peculiarities of the organization of medical support for the armed forces of the two countries, as well as issues related to the organization of training of military medical personnel. The parties also exchanged views in the field of medical support and discussed new areas of cooperation between the countries.
On October 30, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktar Khrenin met with Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandr Vulin. During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on topical issues of international security and trends in the military and political situation in Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
On October 30, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktar Khrenin had a bilateral meeting with CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov. During the meeting, the parties discussed the main areas of cooperation within the CSTO in 2024, as well as possible areas of further interaction.
On October 30, a meeting was held at the Department of International Military Cooperation on the occasion of the completion of the accreditation procedure of the assistant military attache to the Turkish Embassy at the Ministry of Defense of Belarus. During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the state of the military and political situation in the region and bilateral military relations.
On November 1, it was reported that a delegation of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of Russia headed by Vice-Admiral Vladimir Tsimlyanski was visiting Belarus. It was noted that the visit was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces.
Combat training
Scheduled training flights took place at the 50th Combined Air Base. Pilots of Il-76MD, An-26 and Tu-134 aircraft, as well as Mi-8MTV-5, Mi-24 and Mi-35 helicopters were practicing their skills.
On October 30, it was reported that scheduled exercises for training of UAV operators are being held at the 927th Center for Training and Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems. The training of servicemen is conducted in three main fields: UAVs of aircraft and multirotor types, as well as FPV drones.
On October 30, it was reported that the CSTO drills will be held in Belarus in September 2025. These are the Interaction-2025 joint drills with the CSTO rapid response forces, Search-2025 drills with the intelligence forces, and Echelon-2025 drills with the forces of logistical support of troops.
On October 31, it was reported that an inspection of weapons and military equipment by the Main Military Inspectorate of the Belarusian Armed Forces is being held in the 6th Mechanized Brigade. The inspection is being carried out on samples of logistics equipment, missile and artillery armament, vehicles, armored armament, and communications equipment.
On October 30, drills “to test the readiness of state bodies to respond and cooperate to acts of terrorism” were held on the territory of Astravets district of Hrodna region. The drills involved units of the State Security Committee, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Belarusian Armed Forces, the Investigative Committee, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other state bodies. The scenario of the drills envisaged the use of military equipment, increased control and restriction of traffic in the drills zone.
On October 31, a sudden inspection of the units of the 74th Separate Signal Regiment took place. During the inspection, the issues of establishing and maintaining communications were practiced.
Military commissariats and territorial defense
Military training sessions
On November 1, another training session with conscripts was completed in the 74th Separate Signal Regiment. About 20 reservists were drafted.
On November 1, an open mobile trial was held in Maryina Horka, where a criminal case on evasion of participation in a military training session (p.1 Art.436 of the Criminal Code) was considered. The court found the conscript guilty and sentenced him to a fine of 4,000 BYN ($1,204) and compulsory treatment for chronic alcoholism.
Conscription for compulsory military service
During the fall 2024 conscription, 1500 servicemen have already been drafted to the 72nd Joint Training Center. In total, more than 2000 servicemen will be drafted to the center for compulsory military service.
Internal Troops
Servicemen of the Shtorm special forces detachment (military unit 5526) together with Stolin District Department of Internal Affairs, District Department of Emergency Situations and the city ambulance station practiced “suppression of acts of terrorism in places of mass gathering of people (movie theater).”
On October 30, it was reported that second-year cadets of the Internal Troops Faculty of the Military Academy continue their work at the Valoushchyna special forces training center. Over the past week, the instructors shared their knowledge of combat tactics, peculiarities of weapon use and psychological aspects that may arise in critical situations with the trainees.
Flights of Russian UAVs into Belarus
On October 28, flights of at least 3 Russian UAVs of the Shahed-136/131 type into the airspace of Belarus were recorded. It’s unknown what happened to them next. The Belarusian Air Force wasn’t used to intercept the UAVs.
On October 29, flights of at least 5 Russian UAVs of the Shahed-136/131 type into the airspace of Belarus were recorded. It’s unknown what happened to them next. The Belarusian Air Force wasn’t used to intercept the UAVs.
On October 30, a flight of at least 1 Russian UAV of the Shahed-136/131 type into the airspace of Belarus was recorded. It’s unknown what happened to it next. The Belarusian Air Force was used to intercept the UAV.
On October 31, a flight of at least 1 Russian UAV of the Shahed-136/131 type into the airspace of Belarus was recorded. It’s unknown what happened to it next. The Belarusian Air Force wasn’t used to intercept the UAV.
On November 1, flights of at least 9 Russian UAVs of the Shahed-136/131 type into the airspace of Belarus were recorded. According to available information, at around 02:00, the air defense forces in Mazyr district were working on the UAVs – probably a few Shahed-136/131 could have been shot down. It’s unknown what happened to them next. The Belarusian Air Force wasn’t used to intercept the UAVs.
On November 2, flights of at least 5 Russian UAVs of the Shahed-136/131 type into the airspace of Belarus were recorded. It’s unknown what happened to them next. The Belarusian Air Force wasn’t used to intercept the UAVs.
In total, at least 120 Russian drones flew into the airspace of Belarus from July 11 to November 3.
Rearmament. Development of infrastructure
On October 28, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus published another tender for the purchase of Chinese drones: Autel EVO MAX 4T (13 sets), Autel EVO MAX 4N (6 sets) and FIMI X8 SE 2022 Megaphone Combo (5 sets). In total, they plan to spend 673,977 BYN ($203,883) on the purchase.
On October 29 it became known that the State Border Committee will build a new outpost in Naroulia district of Homiel region. It is planned that all the facilities of the border outpost will be built by the end of 2026. A total of 9 border outposts have been built / reconstructed / planned for construction in Homiel region alone since 2022. Construction of new outposts on the Belarus-Ukraine border is also underway in Brest region.
On November 2, the president of the Kalashnikov concern Alan Lushnikov announced the delivery of PPK-20 submachine guns to the Belarusian military. According to Lushnikov, “Belarusian units have adopted this model with great pleasure and are using it. We have supplied a fairly serious amount there.” It is known that OMON servicemen with PPK-20 took part in the military parade on July 3, 2024 in Minsk.