Belarus is ready to create more joint military training centers with Russia, Lukašenka says

February 3, BPN. Belarus is ready to create more joint military training centers with Russia, Aliaksandr Lukašenka said at a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Minsk on February 3.

“We are ready to create more centers to master the air defense systems and the latest weapons that are now created in Russia. Again, it is crucial for us to master them and be able to use them,” Lukašenka was quoted by his press service.

At present there are three joint training and combat centers, including two in Russia and one in Belarus. “It was my request to you that we set up centers for the new weapons here. Thank you, you have responded to it,” Lukašenka told Shoigu.

As previously reported, units of Russia’s anti-aircraft missile forces arrived in Hrodna on August, 28, 2021 to form a joint training and combat center. For the same reason, multi-purpose Su-30SM fighters of the Russian Military and Space Forces arrived at the Baranavičy Airfield on September 8.

On March 5, 2021, in Moscow, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktar Chrenin and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu agreed to establish three joint training centers in the two countries.

Following the meeting, the press service of the Defense Ministry said that one center would be established in Belarus, where “a joint training of Su-30SM crews would be arranged, Belarusian specialists are to be trained to operate modern anti-aircraft missile systems used by the Russian Armed Forces, and joint training and combat missions are to be carried out.”

Russia has established a joint training and combat center for ground forces, which prepares the motorized rifle and tank units “using methods that that incorporate the combat experience of the Russian Armed Forces,” and a center based in the Baltic Fleet, which allows for “training of Belarusian units based on Russian Marines’ units equipped with BTR82A.”