Lukašenka wants to arm emergency workers with machine guns and grenade launchers

February 7, BPN. Aliaksandr Lukašenka believes that the Ministry of Emergency Situations should become part of the country’s security bloc. He conveyed his position at a meeting on the improvement of the Ministry’s structure on February 7.

“The employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are tough guys,” Lukašenka’s press service quotes him as saying. “And not just the guys. I have a lot of respect for them. Wherever the Ministry of Emergency Situations is, they are among the best, if not the best.”

According to Lukašenka, all employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, especially under the current minister,”want to be a security bloc.”

“That’s how we think of them. But in order to be a security officer, you need to be excellent with weapons. I ordered to determine what part of the Ministry of Emergency Situations we would arm: who are the guys, the girls who serve there, who would carry firearms and who would be trained only in the way, as I said. They should act accordingly in any situation. I would like to hear how much progress we have made in this regard, so that the Ministry of Emergency Situations becomes a real security unit, and how many people would have in possession the weapons that are no worse than in the army and in the police,” said Lukašenka.

He noted that the country cannot have a permanent armed force of 200,000-300,000 people: “We have agreed that the number of our armed forces, our army, is 65,000. That’s it. But if there is any conflict, God forbid a war, do we leave out tough and reliable staff of the Ministry of Emergency Situations? No. They will not only put out fires.”

So, the second task of emergency workers is to “stand up for the homeland” if necessary, “and for that you have to be able to handle a weapon.” “What weapon? Guns, submachine guns, machine guns, grenade launchers, or are we going to arm them with some equipment as well? I think so, yes. This will be a serious asset and a back-up for our army in case of emergency,” Lukašenka said.

Since March 11, 2021, Vadzim Siniaŭski, former head of the Department of Internal Affairs at the Hrodna Regional Executive Committee, has been the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.