Support The Moscow Times!

Belarus Launches 'Surprise' Military Maneuvers

Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus

Belarus, a Moscow ally that shares a border with Ukraine, launched "surprise" military maneuvers on Wednesday, to test the reactive capacity of its army, its defense ministry said. 

Belarus military units were testing their capacity to "go on the alert, move to predetermined zones and undertake combat training," the ministry said in a statement. 

"The aim is to evaluate the readiness and ability of troops to react rapidly to a possible crisis," it continued, describing the maneuvers as a "surprise" exercise.

It published photos of columns of vehicles, including tanks, moving along roads. 

The exercise will be closely watched by Kyiv, which has repeatedly accused Belarus of planning to send troops into Ukraine to help Russia's military operation against its pro-Western neighbor.

Belarus has been ruled with an iron fist by strongman Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for nearly 30 years. The country serves as an air and logistics base for Moscow.

Nevertheless, not all Belarusians are in favor of participation, however indirect, in the current conflict and there have been acts of sabotage in recent months and several suspects have been arrested.

In 2020, Belarus was rocked by protests over the allegedly fraudulent re-election of Lukashenko, who ordered a ferocious crackdown on the dissent.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more