Against the background of the unstable international situation and the growing threats in the field of security, the need to strengthen the defense mechanisms of the Union State is coming to the fore. At the same time, the key factor ensuring the sovereignty and independence of Belarus and Russia is the coordinated policy of the two states in this area, which makes it possible to effectively respond to external challenges and maintain stability in the region. This was recently discussed at a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly's commission on security and defense of the Union State, held on May 14 in Lida.
In particular, Roman Filippov, head of the group of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff, said that currently the Ministries of Defense of Russia and Belarus are already implementing a joint action plan for 2025-27. The plan provides for the implementation of a whole range of activities covering various areas of military activity.
"The General Staffs have developed a number of documents clarifying our actions for the period of the special military operation. Based on the current situation, taking into account the available capabilities, several options have been developed for the joint use of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia, which guarantee the military security of the Union State," the senior Russian officer assured.
It was also noted at the meeting that special attention is being paid to the issues of joint training of military authorities and troops within the framework of the implementation of the said plan. The main efforts are aimed at conducting operational and combat training activities that allow the armies of the allied countries to maintain a high level of interaction and are essentially the basis for maintaining high combat readiness of troops.
Representative of the General Staff of Belarus, head of the Information and Analytical Department Vitaly Shlakunov, for his part, noted that against the background of Russia's special military operation, the number of joint events was optimized, as well as their redistribution. This event also touched upon the development of issues related to the combat use of the regional group of forces of Belarus and Russia (RGV). "This year, representatives of the armed forces of the Russian Federation have been provided with participation in joint staff training of the command of the RGV and the command of the Air Force and Air Defense forces," said Colonel Shlakunov. It should be noted that these joint staff training sessions are elements of preparation for the joint strategic exercise Zapad–2025, which is scheduled for September this year. In turn, events like Zapad are the main form of training for the RGW.
Currently, as Roman Filippov noted, as part of the preparations for Zapad-2025, the concept of the upcoming exercise has been developed and approved, organizational documents have been prepared, and it is also planned to conduct reconnaissance of landfills in Russia and Belarus. In addition, the representative of the Russian General Staff once again reminded that the autumn joint maneuvers are exclusively defensive in nature and do not pose any threat, primarily to the neighboring countries of the Union State. According to him, the idea of the exercise involves working out joint actions in the course of repelling aggression against the Union State with the use of a regional group of troops. "The main outcome of the Zapad-2025 exercise will be to ensure the readiness of our armed forces to defend the Union State and demonstrate their joint capabilities," the representative of the Russian General Staff said.
Despite the fact that special attention was not paid to the words "demonstration of joint capabilities", they should be treated with all seriousness. They reveal one of the most important functions assigned to the planned exercises – to serve as a factor of strategic deterrence. Showing the readiness of the two armies to defend a common state in accordance with various scenarios of the development of the situation (now using (conditionally) tactical nuclear weapons, including those present on the territory of Belarus) is aimed at enlightening some "overplayed" Western politicians.
It is noteworthy that preparations for Zapad-2025 are taking place against the background of the already large-scale NATO exercises Defender Europe-2025, one of the stages of which started in the Baltic on May 11. At the same time, for example, a joint airborne operation of American (173rd Airborne Brigade) and Spanish (Airborne Brigade Brigada Paracaidista) military personnel in Latvia is already planned for May 15.
In this regard, it is possible that the idea of joint Belarusian-Russian maneuvers may undergo some changes, because it must take into account "various scenarios of the development of the situation."
Vladimir Vujacic
