"Russian Soldiers Gobble Up Our Vodka And Beer Like A Shot"

How do the "unwelcome guests" behave in our country at the West-2017 exercises?

When will the Russian tankmen really leave Belarus? What are the limitations for Barysau residents during the exercises? How do officers spend their free time and why was a counterintelligence service called to deal with a state TV channel’s television crew? The answers to the questions you can find in special Belsat’s report.

On September 17, the second stage of the Belarusian-Russian strategic maneuvers West-2017 started. The active phase of the exercises began at the Barysauski training ground. According to the reports of the Ministry of Defense, the Belarusian military together with the Russian 1st Armored Army was practising in making artillery reconnaissance, repulsing enemy air strikes, and was conducting activities to maintain combat effectiveness.

Russian soldiers wear uniforms without insignia.

According to the locals, the unloading of the equipment from the railway station ramp started in August. Now one can often see the military traffic police from Moscow region, patrol cars and Russian soldiers individually in Barysau streets.

"They walk around the city with chevrons sealed for some reason, without special identification marks, so sometimes you do not know whether it’s a Russian soldier or ours," – a cashier in the store at the station says.

Here we meet two "conscripts". The guys serve in a unit in Pechy and do not take part in the exercises.

"The Russians live right at the firing ground, in tents. To be honest, we have not seen them. They are on their own, – the guy says. – But I know that patrols of the Russian military police drive around the city. We have been told that they are authorized to check our military tickets. The exercises will last until September 25, and then three days for packing up, and on the 28th they will go home," – the soldier informs.

We get different information from a taxi driver, who almost every day brings Russians from the city center to the firing ground.

"One of them has said that the most active actions of the exercises are supposed to take place on the 25th and 26th, and for now it’s only an adjustment of fire, – the driver shares. – And the officers say that Putin is going to come here..."

We remind that West-2017 officially end on September 20, and representatives of the Belarusian Ministry of Defense have repeatedly stressed: the Russian units will entirely leave the country until September 30. As for Vladimir Putin’s visit, Moscow states that he will inspect the exercises in Leningrad region only.

"Counter-intelligence came with weapons ..."

For now residents of houses across the road from the firing ground say that they have rarely seen airplanes during the day, but shots are heard well everywhere in the city, even the windows are shaking in some of the apartments. Even the teenagers discuss at the ground near the entrance hall "how loudly they were shooting".

The Barysauski firing ground is closely adherent to the city: there are high-rise buildings on one side of the road, and the "trespassers will be shot" sign – on the opposite side. The circulation control office is situated here as well. The security in the control office is mixed – Russian military traffic police officers in green waistcoats with corresponding patches are on guard together with representatives of the Belarusian commandant's office.

When we come closer, they are persistently explaining to an elderly woman, who has decided to go to the forest with her friend that the walk is forbidden. Most of all, the local residents complain that it isn’t allowed to gather mushrooms in the forest near the firing ground. However, the ban does not stop everyone.

"We catch mushroom pickers regularly and detain them," – a representative of the commandant's office tells us. – Sometimes they come straight to the circulation control office, and for half an hour we explain it to the people." Well, you can’t go there! There are trip wires everywhere, they shoot at the firing ground – butt out! You are not allowed to walk anywhere here, you are forbidden to make videos anywhere here. Even from the opposite side. VoenTV (the TV channel of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus) has been here recently, they were making a video from the other side of the road, but even they were detained by our counterintelligence agents.

We have no time to find out about the fate of the VoenTV crew. The commandant's officer behaves with us rather openly, without suspicions, but when his partner from the Russian military police approaches, he immediately stops talking – no more answers to the questions. The correspondent is asked to show the phone in case of the conversation has been recorded. "The girl will now pass straight into the police car,"– the officer says. Fortunately, we have not made any records, so we leave the circulation control office quietly.

"We drank so much and did not get poisoned!"

In addition to the circulation control office from the Barysau side, there is also a circulation control office at the entrance to the city, along the Moscow route. And next to it, there’s a small path, along which the Russian military go AWOL. The taxi driver shows us the path – he has repeatedly carted off companies from there.

"Officers often change into civilian clothes in the evenings and go to the old city to restaurants or clubs. Well, they also go for vodka regularly, – the taxi driver says, – they say, they even had to enlarge the contingent of the military police, because Russian officers went to saunas straight away, the police was catching them there."

As we are told in the stores near the firing ground, after the arrival of the Russian military, the sales of vodka and beer have grown incredibly.

"They gobble up vodka, beer, stewed meat like a shot! – an employee of a store says. – At the end of the working day, the shelves with alcohol are empty. And tomorrow the Russians come again and everyone is surprised: they say, we drank so much and did not get poisoned! How is it that you have such cheap and high quality vodka?.. Indeed: you can buy only a tincture of hawthorn for such money in Russia!"

The local residents try not to talk without need to the Russians: they are afraid that if they start asking many questions, they will be taken to the KGB. But usually they do not have any questions: the Barysau residents do not have anything against the Russian military and the exercises and show understanding.

"Well, it is to be done, they are, as they say, our brothers," – a Barysau resident says. And then he adds with a smile: "Although, Lukashenka says that the Chinese are our brothers, and the Hindus, and the Syrians ... Who knows!"