Ex-commander of the Airborne Forces Shpak explained why Minsk deployed troops on the border with Ukraine
The Army of Belarus has been put on high alert. Minsk claims that this is a response to the NATO exercises "Defender of Europe-2022", which are taking place on the territory of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Also, the Belarusian Defense Ministry announced the deployment of Special Operations Forces (SSO) on the border with Ukraine. "Newspaper.Ru" found out what the Belarusian SSOs are and what their deployment means.
Belarus traditionally responds to NATO military exercises conducted near its borders with retaliatory measures - it takes its troops to the training grounds, demonstrating readiness to counter possible threats. The current second stage of the sudden inspection of troops, which was announced by the head of the Defense Ministry Viktor Khrenin, is connected with the NATO maneuvers "Defender of Europe-2022", in which 18 thousand military personnel of the alliance member countries, including the United States, participate. In this direction, battalion-tactical groups have been advanced, reinforced by air defense units, missile troops and artillery, which will ensure their combat operation.
In parallel, Belarus deployed so-called Special Operations Forces on the border with Ukraine (1,084 km long). "In order to ensure the security of the Republic of Belarus in the southern direction, Special Operations Forces units have been deployed in three tactical directions," said Viktor Gulevich, head of the Belarusian General Staff.
The special operations forces of the Belarusian army include the most combat-ready units. They include the 38th separate Airborne Assault Brigade (Brest), the 103rd separate Airborne Brigade (Vitebsk), the 5th separate special purpose Brigade (Maryina Gorka in the Minsk region). This is a combat base, there is also the 742nd field communications center, the 91st security battalion and units for performing tasks of special importance.
"The combat potential of the Special Operations Forces in Belarus seems to be extremely high," he told the newspaper.Ru" ex-commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel-General Georgy Shpak. - They are based on amphibious units, where all the best traditions of Soviet times have been preserved. The experience of joint military exercises within the framework of the Union State also affects, where tasks of various nature are worked out, in which coordinated actions of Russian and Belarusian units are developed. This is a very powerful and combat-ready army fist that can perform both special-purpose tasks and conduct combined-arms combat using different types of military equipment."
"One of the main lessons is the instant involvement of heavy military equipment, tanks and artillery in clashes. Air support is also important. The Russian airborne forces successfully use similar tactics, Belarusian special forces units have also adopted such tactics. The deployment takes place simultaneously with the advance of equipment to the forefront," Shpak added.
At the same time, the ex-commander of the Airborne Forces is confident that the purpose of the deployment is not to plan an offensive, but to "stop possible provocations from Kiev."
In total, the Special Operations Forces number more than 6,000 people who are equipped with the most advanced equipment, including Russian-made armored vehicles "Tiger", "Bogatyr", "Cayman", BTR-80A.
The MTR brigades are also armed with their own artillery divisions and anti-aircraft rocket and artillery batteries. Military transport aircraft Il-76 can be used for landing, of which there are only two (plus 4 more civilian ones that are suitable for military use), four An-26 and Mi-8 helicopters (including the new Russian Mi-8MTB) in the amount of 20 units.
"In any military operation, the main thing is to withstand the first blow. The Belarusian army is capable of independently repulsing almost any enemy. But on the condition that the full power of NATO with the support of the United States does not fall on it. In such a situation, without Russia's support, it will be difficult to hold the defense even with the involvement of its best and combat-ready units," he told the newspaper.Ru" ex-commander of the 58th Army, Lieutenant General Anatoly Khrulev
"The Belarusian army was not created for offensive operations. For the republic, which considers its military policy exclusively as defensive, this is quite enough, while the reserve potential allows to mobilize up to 500 thousand (including 120 thousand from the territorial defense forces) trained and trained reserve servicemen in a matter of days. Belarus has about 1,600 tanks (more than 600 are in operation, the rest are in storage), 2,500 armored vehicles (886 IFVs and 192 APCs in operation), 1,500 artillery systems. Minsk has prepared a perfectly functioning mobilization mechanism in case of a crisis," Sergei Belousov, a member of the Board of Military Experts, summed up.
Victor Sokirko