Belarus moves troops to Suwalki corridor, raising NATO alarm
Photo: Belarusian army (Getty Images)
Four-day military exercises have begun in Belarus near the borders with Poland and Lithuania. The maneuvers are taking place at several training grounds, including near the strategically important Suwałki Corridor, according to The Moscow Times.
The exercises in Belarus will last from September 15 to 18. Units of the Western Operational Command were involved, including mechanized and tank battalions.
According to the Belarusian Ministry of Defense, the military is practicing border protection, countering sabotage groups, and repelling drone and light aircraft attacks.
Where the exercises are taking place
Practical military operations are occurring at the Hozha training ground in the Grodno Region, directly on the border with Lithuania. The military is also training at the Brest and Ruzhany training grounds, located approximately 15 and 60 km from the Polish border, respectively.
Part of the maneuvers is taking place near the Suwałki Corridor - a section of the Polish-Lithuanian border that has strategic significance for NATO.
The corridor, approximately 104 km long, is the only land connection between the Baltic states and the rest of NATO territory. It is also located between Belarus and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast.
Minsk calls the exercises defensive
The Belarusian Ministry of Defense stated that the exercises are exclusively defensive in nature.
The ministry also claims that the number of military personnel and equipment does not exceed the thresholds provided for in the Vienna Document 2011, which would require prior notification of other states. At the same time, Minsk has not disclosed the exact number of military personnel involved in the maneuvers.
The exercises are taking place against the backdrop of increased attention to the security of NATO's eastern flank and Russia's war against Ukraine.
Over the past years, Belarus has regularly conducted military maneuvers near the borders of NATO countries, and Russian military personnel often participated in previous exercises.
Context of the news
Previously, Belarusian President Lukashenko stated that Belarus is preparing for a large-scale combat readiness inspection of the armed forces, which could affect the entire army and involve mobilization measures. "I have already said in plain language: the army needs to be shaken up, the time has come," Lukashenko said.
On August 26, the Belarusian leader ordered a combat readiness inspection of the Belarusian army. As Belarusian State Security Council Secretary Alexander Volfovich reported, one of the reasons for this decision in Minsk was cited as the visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow.
