Russian Airborne Troops Commander Serdyukov Arrived In Minsk

The Russian general will command paratroopers at the parade in Minsk.

Belarusian Minister of Defense Andrei Raukou met with the commander of the Airborne Troops of the Russian Armed Forces Andrei Serdyukov, the Ministry of Defense reports.

Serdyukov arrived in Belarus on July 2 as part of a group of paratroopers who will take part in the Independence Day parade. However, it is unlikely that only a formal event – the parade – forced the participant of the first and second Chechen wars to fly to Minsk.

"There took place a working meeting between Defense Minister Lieutenant-General Andrei Raukou and the Russian delegation head, during which the parties discussed the results of joint combat training of special operations forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus and units of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation," –the message of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus reads.