MINSK, Feb 21 - RIA Novosti. The chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus Viktor Gulevich said that the Russian units will return to their permanent locations when there is an objective need for it.
Earlier it became known that due to the increase in military activity near the borders of the Union State and the aggravation of the situation in the Donbass, the presidents of Russia and Belarus decided to continue checking the reaction forces.
"The units of the Russian Armed Forces will return to their permanent locations only when there is an objective need for this, and when we determine it ourselves. This is purely our internal affair," Gulevich said at a briefing with military attaches timed to the Defender of the Fatherland Day. His words are quoted by the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus.
He noted that to a large extent it will depend on Western colleagues who have deployed troops to the Eastern European region, including to the borders of Belarus.
Russia and Belarus began checking the forces and means of reaction of the Union State at the end of January. At the first stage, they relocated and created groups in the threatened areas, organized the protection of important state and military facilities, strengthened the protection of the state border in the airspace within the framework of the Unified Regional Air Defense System of Belarus and Russia. The governing bodies and military units of the Eastern Military District regrouped over a distance of about ten thousand kilometers.
Since February 10, the exercises "Allied Determination — 2022" have been held. Their goal is to work out tasks "to suppress and repel external aggression." In particular, the military carried out measures to strengthen the protection of the state border, prevent the penetration of armed groups of militants, block the channels of delivery of weapons and ammunition, detect and destroy illegal formations and sabotage and reconnaissance groups of a conditional enemy.
