Drills “near the Suwalki gap” at the Hozhski training ground have been held for almost 1.5 years now

There is no connection between the drills and a potential threat to the Suwalki gap.

Today, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus announced the start of command staff drills with the 6th Mechanized Brigade of the Belarusian Armed Forces (military unit 05733, Hrodna). It was reported that the drills would take place at the Hozhski training ground and the terrain in Hrodna region.

While reporting this news, a number of media outlets emphasized that the drills are held near the Suwalki gap to create tension with NATO countries.

The Suwalki gap is a land “corridor” about 100 kilometers long, which can connect the territory of Belarus with Kaliningrad oblast of Russia.

Indeed, the Hozhski training ground is located in close proximity to the border with Lithuania and Poland. According to information from open sources, the training ground was built back in the 1950s. And the 6th Mechanized Brigade (until 1992 — the 6th Tank Division) has been stationed in Hrodna since 1980. In other words, the military have been using the training ground for many decades

Since the Hozhski training ground is part of the 6th Mechanized Brigade, the vast majority of combat training activities of the 6th Brigade take place there. You can find dozens of references in open sources about various kinds of drills at the Hozhski training ground. The Belarusian Hajun monitoring group regularly reports on the continuation of drills at the training ground.

There is no connection between the drills with the 6th Mechanized Brigade and the potential threat to the Suwalki gap. Incorrect presentation of information in the media can mislead readers and create additional tension in the society.