Army officer killed during Zapad 2013 drills

A service member was killed during the Belarusian-Russian joint military exercises, witnesses report.

Charter97.org learnt it from a reader.

“A young officer of the border troops, senior lieutenant Navitski, was killed during Zapad 2013 military exercises. RIP. He served in the Hrodna border troops. It's very unpleasant to see attempts to hide this fact,” the reader writes. Unfortunately, he doesn't know details of the incident.

The website charter97.org tried to learn more from the Ministry of Defence, but the press service declined to comment and said it was rumours. The Hrodna border group said they had no information about the incident. Representatives of the group refused to say if officer Navitski served there.

The military exercises Zapad 2013 were held on September 20-26 at five firing ranges under command of ministers of defence of Russia and Belarus. More than 22,000 servicemen, 530 military vehicles, including about 80 tanks, over 50 artillery guns and MRLs, about 90 aircraft (Su-24, Su-25, Su-34, MiG-29, Be-200, etc), helicopters and up to ten warships of the Baltic Fleet were involved in the drills.

The military exercises raised concerns among Belarus's neighbours.

Many experts suppose a scenario of the controversial Zapad 2009 exercises was used. Zapad 2009 manoeuvres involving more than 12,000 servicemen were officially called defencive with the aim of ensuring strategic stability in the region, but the scenario included attacks on third countries, some sources say.