In plain language, the task of the “Zapad-2017” exercise is to make the Belarusian troops even closer to the Russian troops, to try out new instruments of war and try the new military equipment along with upgraded one. Another task is to promote a good image. The second phase of the large-scale exercises started not long ago. Officially, it has a strong anti-terrorist element.
According to drill plan, illegal armed groups have moved in Belarus and the Kaliningrad region, either guerrillas, or terrorists. But for some reason the Russian aviation bombed at Belarusian landfills not only the column of cars, but also bridges, radars and airfields. Apparently, the gangs that attacked Veyshnoryia are very strong.
In the Baltic Sea, the Russian Navy also opposes the regular fleet, firing at – according to legend – large warships.
Observers and the press are following the demonstration performances of Belarusian and Russian military from a distance. As “Belsat” learned from unofficial sources, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus has put foreign journalists in much less comfortable conditions than the Russians and Belarusians.
This is only a small part of the exercise.
Officially, the “Zapad-2017” involves up to 12 thousand seven hundred troops from Belarus and Russia. However, NATO defense ministries say the maneuvers of hundred thousands of Russian troops are not transparent enough. Today, the President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė informed the UN Secretary General about the threat of the “Zapad-2017”.
“Simulation of a real conflict with NATO member countries concealed scope and scenarios of the exercise, deployment of soldiers and tactical weapons as well as unconventional actions speak about aggressive and offensive nature of “Zapad”. The effects of capacities of nuclear weapons, artillery and missile mobilized in Kaliningrad may reach even Lisbon,” the President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite noted with concern.
Alyaksandr Lukashenka will take part in the exercise the day after tomorrow.
He also invited Vladimir Putin to the Belarusian part of the maneuvers. However, the president of Russia stayed at home and watched the exercises only in the Leningrad region.
Yaraslau Stseshyk, “Belsat”, photo: Vitaly Nevar / TASS / Forum
