Belarusian “partisans” to be called for West-2009 military drills

Reservists will be called for a joint Belarus-Russian military exercise West-2009. First they will be called for scheduled reserve duty training exercise, and then taken to one of firing ranges.

A correspondent of the European Radio for Belarus was told about that by an officer from the Maskouski military enlistment office in Minsk told.

“We plan to call reservists from September 8 to October 2. From here people go to the settlement of Sosny, then a unit of “partisans” (as we are calling them) is to be formed in Sosny, and then they are sent to the firing range. You know that large-scale Belarusian-Russian military drills are to take place in September. Well, the unit is to build defence. There would be cadre officers and reserve officers there,” the official said. We will have a special unit of reservists to build fortifications for a large Belarus-Russian joint military drill”, the official said.

A bombing range Abuz-Lyasnouski near Baranavichy will be the main arena of the drill. On September 30, paratroopers with military vehicles will be deployed from the air.

From September 27 through September 28, a separate drill will take place in accordance with the plan of the Russian General Staff at a range in Barysau. Nearly 13,000 troops, including 7000 from Belarus and 6000 from Russia, are expected to take part in the exercise.