Surprise military drills completed – defense ministry

December 19, BPN. The Belarusian Armed Forces’ combat readiness check has been completed, the press office of the Ministry of Defense reported on December 19.

“The Armed Forces’ units that were involved in the combat readiness check… have returned to their scheduled combat training exercises,” it said.

The surprise drills began on December 13 on the instructions of Alaksandr Łukašenka, under the supervision of the Security Council’s state secretariat.

Security Council head Alaksandr Valfovič said that drills mainly involved immediate-response military units. “First of all, the check will affect the permanently ready units that will be solving issues if the situation on the borders of Belarus or inside the country aggravates,” Valfovič said.

A wide range of tasks will be carried out during the check, he added: a long-distance march in unfamiliar terrain, guarding various objects, establishing firing positions, and performing firing and tactical tasks.

The drills came amid a national drive to verify draft-age Belarusians’ data and Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Belarusian ruler had admitted that Belarus participated in Russia’s war, but said it was “not killing anyone.”