What Kind Of Russian Troops Inundate Belarus?

New details of West-2017 military exercises have been revealed.

According to the official information, about 10 200 soldiers and officers of the Belarusian and Russian armies will take part in the West-2017 exercises, about 3 000 of whom will represent the Russian armed forces. The exercises will be held on September 14- 20.

Joint Belarusian-Russian exercises caused great resonance in our region and in the media - suspicions were voiced about the possible Russian aggression against Ukraine through the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, the "Crimea scenario" against Belarus itself, as well as about the appearance of Russian military bases at the territory of our country, stated in the report by Belsat TV.

Official representatives of Belarus and Moscow deny the possibility of such scenarios.

Mixed bad

The TV-channel’s journalists talked with the military expert Aliaksandr Alesin about which Russian contingent could be presented in Belarus in September. The main part of the Russian military can consist of mechanized and tank units of the Russian 1st Guards Tank Army, the expert believes.

"The Russian side is likely to transfer the units of the 1st Tank Army from near Moscow and Yelnia," - Alesin said.

The 1st Tank Army, which was restored in November 2014, includes the 4th Tank Kantemirovskaya Division and the 2nd Motorized Rifle Tamanskaya Division, the 27th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade, the 6th Independent Tank Brigade, the 96th Independent Intelligence Brigade, artillery brigades and sustaining units.

The Russian units of the airborne forces will also participate. All this is part of the long-term development of the scenario for the transfer of the Russian troops to Belarus in case of a military threat.

"This corresponds with the documents about the joint defense of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation. According to them, at the beginning of the threat period the Belarusian troops will restrain the potential aggressor, waiting for the help of the Russian troops, " - the expert said.

By airborne assault or by landing method, the most mobile airborne units will arrive at the airfields, and then "heavy" mechanized and tank divisions and brigades from the Western Military District of Russia will go by rail or on highways.

The Belarusian side provides twice as many troops. According to the expert, these will be the joint forces of the 1-2 mechanized brigades represented by separate divisions of the highest combat readiness, the Air Foirces and the Air Defense Forces, and the Special Operations forces.

In total, up to 680 war equipment units will be involved in the exercises, Belarusian Defense Minister Andrei Raukou said earlier.

From the Russian side there will be about 280 war equipment units, including up to 25 aircrafts and helicopters.

The War Scenario

As a result, these troops will create a common group to conduct a battle at the territory of Belarus.

"The specific documents are classified, but the elements are worked out every year, not only at the West exercises. This is worked out during the joint exercises of smaller scale, including pontoon, aviation, air defense. Not only at the territory of Belarus - for example, at the Ashuluk fire ground, where the scenario of the exercises is actually about the territory of Belarus, " - Alesin said.

At the previous exercises, the Belarusian-Russian group usually "fought against illegal armed groups."

"The legend was about the penetration of groups of militants, terrorists and the like, I think now it can change to a more" regular "opponent. The NATO countries, for their part, are already transparently hinting at who they see as the enemy, " - Alesin said.

During the exercise, the general group will be commanded by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, Major-General Aleh Belakoneu, who earlier headed the Belarusian commandos - the Special Operations Forces - for almost three and a half years.