Belarus has massed troops and tanks near the Suwałki Corridor, close to NATO's borders
Kyiv • UNN
Belarus is conducting exercises near the borders of Poland and Lithuania, involving mechanized and tank battalions. Minsk denies having offensive plans.
Belarus has redeployed troops and military equipment to the borders of Poland and Lithuania for four-day command-and-staff exercises, part of which is taking place near the strategically important Suwałki Corridor. Mechanized and tank battalions are taking part in the maneuvers, among others, The Moscow Times reports, writes UNN.
Details
The exercises of the Western Operational Command are taking place from September 15 to 18 under the leadership of Belarusian Chief of the General Staff Pavel Muraveyko.
According to Belarus’s Ministry of Defense, the military is practicing covering the border, ensuring the state of martial law, countering sabotage groups, as well as repelling attacks by drones and light aircraft.
The maneuvers are taking place near NATO’s strategic corridor
The Suwałki Corridor is a 104-kilometer section of the Polish-Lithuanian border that connects the Baltic states with the rest of NATO territory while also separating Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad Region.
Muraveyko stated that Belarus is allegedly not preparing for offensive actions.
We are not considering any offensive actions
Belarus’s Ministry of Defense also claims that the number of troops and weapons involved in the exercises does not exceed the thresholds established by the 2011 Vienna Document, above which other states must be notified.