Expert: Russia Is To Strengthen Its Grouping In Belarus After West-2017 Exercises

The corresponding recommendations of the RF General Staff are already being developed.

During the West-2017 military exercises, the army of Belarus was subordinate to the commands of the General Staff of Russia, Mikhail Samus, a deputy director on international issues of the Center for the Study of the Army, Conversion and Disarmament, said at a press conference on September 26.

According to the expert, this trend will continue, and the Russian Federation will strengthen its grouping in Belarus. In particular, it concerns the resource presence: the creation of additional staging airfield, increase of ammunition and fuel depots.

We remind that the joint military exercises of Belarus and Russia West-2017 took place in Belarus on September 14-20. According to the Russian Federation, up to 13,000 servicemen took part in them, but the data of independent observers attest that more than 200,000 military men were involved in the exercises.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Alexander Turchynov has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin demonstrated the readiness for an offensive war at the Russian-Belarusian exercises West-2017.