Internal troops set up 1,000-strong volunteer force

April 13, BPN. The Belarusian interior ministry’s internal troops are forming volunteer units comprising some 1,000 people in total, Deputy Interior Minister Mikałaj Karpiankoŭ has told the pro-government STV channel.

He said the internal troops should be reinforced because of events in Ukraine: “We have created a number of volunteer units. Honor – 150 people, Tornado – 450. They are always ready to assemble and perform a combat task together with the units operating at the moment. We have created the special unit Lynx, powerful and strong. It has about 300 people.”

Karpiankoŭ, commander of the internal troops, said that unit commanders are recruiting officers. The units will be fully functional in summer, he said.