June 4, Pozirk. The heads of district executive committees have held a one-day training session in the Homiel region’s Rečyca district focusing on managing territorial defense forces, defense ministry’s press office reports.
The officials familiarized themselves with the procedures for setting up territorial defense, using checkpoint equipment for joint tasks with law enforcers and the military and forming people’s militia units.
Territorial troops reservists have been training in the Rečyca district since May 16. The drill is expected to end on Friday.
Last month, about 120 reservists participated in a similar drill in two districts of the Mahiloŭ region, which reportedly involved the formation of people’s militia units, regarded as a reserve for territorial defense in wartime.
Territorial troops are an auxiliary part of the Belarusian Armed Forces called up in times of war or military tension.
In May 2023, Defense Minister Viktar Chrenin announced that territorial defense “is being transformed from a support system into a full-fledged combat one.”
Belarus conducts drills amid tensions with the West and Russia’s war against Ukraine, in which Minsk supports the Kremlin.
