Russia, Belarus to test Union State response forces in February
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The test will be initiated in February and will be comprised of two stages.
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(TASS)
According to the Belarusian Ministry of Defense on Tuesday, Russia and Belarus will conduct tests of the Union State's response forces in February in two parts.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus said Monday that it would perform a surprise inspection of the Union State's forces and means of response alongside Russia.
The ministry disclosed in a statement that the test "will be held on the territory of Belarus in February this year... The test will be held in two stages."
The first stage of the tests will last until February 9, afterward joint military drills will be held from February 10-20, in which the military will practice strengthening the border of the state.
According to the Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin on Tuesday, Russia and Belarus are discussing scenarios in which they will have to use their whole military might to defend the Union State.
Fomin told diplomats during a briefing that "Such a situation may arise when the forces and means of the Regional Group will not be enough to guarantee the security of the Union State, and we must be ready to strengthen it. Together with the Belarusian side, an understanding was reached that for common defense it will be necessary to involve the entire potential of the state's military organization."
"As part of checking the functioning of the unified air defense system of the Union State, 12 Su-35s will be relocated to Belarusian territory, two divisions of the S-400 missile defense system, as well as the Pantsir-S missile and gun system battalion," Fomin revealed.
According to Fomin, Russia intends to include certain troops from the Eastern Military District in maneuvers for Union State response forces in Belarus next month.
The ministry also stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, agreed on unscheduled testing of the Union State reaction forces in December.
Putin plans to hold Russian-Belarusian Drills in Feb-Mar
At a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin had unveiled on December 29 plans to hold joint drill operations between Russia and Belarus in February-March.
Lukashenko had noted that Russia was now taking into consideration his suggestions for exercises in Belarus, saying that their conduct would be useful for the relations of the two countries.
Lukashenko said that his people welcomed Russia's support and the ongoing cooperation in the defense sector.
The two countries have made important progress in the advancement of the Union State in 2021, specifically in integration in finance, tax, and customs legislation, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
