The Belarusian government has announced a comprehensive check of its military’s combat preparedness amid heightened tensions in the region.
According to the country’s Ministry of Defense, the inspection will include various exercises and training, particularly with live fire.
The public is also being warned of temporarily limited access to public roads because of the large-scale movement of military hardware.
“The armed forces are paying great attention to maintaining a high level of combat and mobilization readiness in the current aggravated military-political situation,” the ministry said on Telegram.
In December 2023, the Belarusian government also conducted an unexpected readiness check of its air defense forces, particularly its anti-aircraft missile units and radio engineering troops.
Response to NATO?
Minsk’s combat readiness check comes as NATO conducts a large-scale military exercise on Europe’s eastern flank.
Called Exercise Steadfast Defender, the drills involve 90,000 troops and thousands of military assets from all 32 member states.
This year’s exercise focuses on deterring Belarus’ closest ally Russia, which is considered a risk to go to war with NATO if it wins in Ukraine.
Belarusian Armed Forces Chief of the General Staff Viktor Gulevich said the combat readiness check can be viewed as the country’s response to NATO maneuvers near its borders.
He also said to expect intensified exercises in Belarus in the future involving more troops.