At least six canopies for 156 vehicles were built at the 969th tank reserve base.
In October 2022, it became known that the Lukashenka regime had transferred 211 pieces of military equipment to Russia, including 98 T-72A tanks. They were taken from the 969th tank reserve base in Urechcha (military unit 42715), Luban district, Minsk region – this is one of the largest places of storage of the untouchable reserve of various military vehicles, but primarily tanks.
A few days ago, one of the users of X, after looking at public images, noticed an increase in the number of facilities on the territory of this base. The Belarusian Hajun monitoring group decided to check this information. After the analysis, we came to an unambiguous conclusion: 25 garages (canopies) of various types have been built on the territory of the 969th base from 2017 to 2024, and all the equipment, which was previously stored in the open air, was moved under the canopies (in storage).
Moreover, after analyzing the state procurement, we managed to find out that in 2022-2023 only, the following were built on the territory of the 969th base:
— Three canopies for 20 vehicles each;
— A canopy for storage of automobile equipment for 48 vehicles each;
— Two canopies for storage of automobile equipment for 24 vehicles each, etc.
Thus, in 2022-2023 only, at least six canopies for 156 vehicles were built at the 969th tank reserve base.
In addition, according to Belarusian Hajun, the construction of canopies in 2022-2023 also took place at: — the 1868th artillery armament base (military unit 63604, Homiel); — the 288th vehicle reserve base (military unit 48668, Stariya Darohi) and others.
We note that untouchable reserve equipment is accumulated in peacetime to ensure the mobilization deployment of troops. It is allowed to store equipment in storage facilities, under canopies, or in equipped open areas.
There are the following categories of equipment storage conditions:
- light – in heated storage facilities;
- medium – in unheated storage facilities;
- severe – under a canopy;
- very severe – forced storage in open areas.
In other words, the work carried out at the 969th base made it possible to transfer most of the equipment from very severe to severe storage conditions. Amid the general militarization of Belarus and allegedly external military threats, military equipment, which used to be stored in the open air and sold for export, became a demanded resource.
Relocation of equipment from open areas to canopies is carried out first of all to improve its storage conditions. For many years, some equipment was in the open air, which negatively affected its technical condition (metal corrosion, etc.).
Another important consequence of relocating equipment from open areas to sheds is greater secrecy of storage, as the possibility of detecting changes in its quantity is almost completely excluded.
