Belarusian soldiers to build pontoon bridge near Polish border

November 1, BPN. The pontoon and bridge battalion of the Western Operational Command’s 557th engineering brigade will build a temporary pontoon bridge across the Nioman, the Belarusian defense ministry’s press office has said.

“Local authorities are reconstructing an automobile bridge built more than 50 years ago,” it said. “They asked the Ministry of Defense leadership to establish a temporary pontoon and bridge crossing. Military engineers have already begun work.”

“Hrodna and Hrodna district residents will soon be able to use the crossing over the Nioman River built by military engineers,” it added.

In southern Belarus, troops had built pontoon crossings shortly before Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

On October 10, at a meeting with security officials, Alaksandr Łukašenka said Belarus and Russia were going to deploy a joint regional group of troops because of “the aggravation on the western borders of the Union State.”

Russian troops, weapons and military equipment began arriving on Belarusian territory on October 15.