Russia to drill scenario of war in South Ossetia in Belarus

A meeting of Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Dmitry Medvedev is to take place during military drills Zapad-2009 (West 2009).

After “milk wars” and demarches of Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the Collective Security Treaty organisation, Minsk steps up contacts in the military sphere. Yesterday Syarhei Hurulyou (Gurulev), First Deputy Defence Minister of Belarus, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus, arrived to Russia. It was an unexpected visit, as before that mass media propagated rumours that “considering special position of the Belarusian president towards Russia”, the country won’t take part in strategic exercise West 2009 in September, “Nezavisimaya gazeta” writes.

The visit of Hurulyou to Russia quashes all these rumours. Moreover, as said by the press-service of the Defence Ministry of Belarus, the general arrived to Russia to discuss prospects of cooperation in the military sphere, and fine-tune the concept of the forthcoming exercises.

He has already met with Nikolai Makarov, First Deputy Defence Minister of Russia, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and a number of commanding officers of Moscow Military District. The plans of Hurulyou’s visit include the 20th Army of Moscow Military District (Voronezh).

These close contacts of Hurulyou with Russian military leadership of the country are quite logical. Despite of political divisions between Moscow and Minsk, military relations of the two countries in the post-Soviet times were traditionally very active and almost trouble-free. And the imminent joint military exercises of the two countries in September, the largest after the collapse of the Soviet Union (September 8-29) are to involve almost all defense potential (including sea potential) of the Northern West of Russia and entire Belarus. As said by General Makarov, drills in Belarus are to take place with participation of two Russian armies with a total number of at least 60,000 troops. “These will be significant exercises. We haven’t held such exercises both in the character and scope, for a long time. Considerable number of aircrafts, including from the Naval Forces from the Russian side, are to be involved. Large groupings of all-arms formations are to be involved,” Makarov said.

A bombing range Abuz-Lyasnouski near Baranavichy will be the main arena of the drill. As said by Western Military Forces operative command head, Belarusian Major General Alyaksandr Myazhueu, joint assault river crossing, paratroopers deployment, combat service support (including deliveries of fuel and lubrication materials via pipelines of oil). It is also planned to carry out landing of Russian combat planes Su-25 and Mig-29) on automobile roads. Besides, air strategic exercise with Tu-160 will take place. Many elements of these training are to be organized for the first time, but Belarus seems to start that knowingly, understanding that military and political aims of Moscow and Minsk within the framework of the “union state” coincide almost completely. And with all caprices of Minsk, it received military aid with great allowances.

The concept of the Russian-Belarusian exercises also reflects the war scenario of the military operation of Russian in Georgia near Tskhinvali in August 2008. The basis of the exercises concept as said by Myazhueu, includes variants of developments of military conflicts of recent decades, and modern views on prevention and repulsing acts of aggression, and the results of the joint exercises held in February – March.

It is planned that the Supreme Commanders-in-Chief of the two states are to be present at the culmination of the exercises.