Belarus launches military exercises to test its combat capability

MADRID, 13 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Belarusian authorities have announced on Tuesday the "imminent" launch of a series of military exercises to test the combat capacity of the Armed Forces in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Defense Ministry has confirmed that, following orders from the country's president, Alexander Lukashenko, troops have been deployed in "designated areas" and various operations have been launched, including crossing two of Belarus's main rivers.

"These measures will be exhaustive, the troops will advance to previously designated areas as soon as possible and reinforce their equipment while organizing defense and security issues," the Ministry has indicated in its Telegram account.

However, the authorities have not specified how long these maneuvers will last or their possible implications for Ukraine, which has been fighting Russian forces for almost ten months since the start of the invasion.

Belarus, an ally of Moscow, has allowed Russian forces to use its territory to establish bases in the framework of the invasion, although it has always denied direct involvement of its Army in the war.

Last week, the authorities announced the start of a "training plan" to "maintain combat and mobilization readiness" within the Armed Forces. The spokeswoman for the Belarusian Defense Ministry, Inna Gorbacheva, indicated then that "the activities are carried out in line with the training plan after the call to military service and the development of an initial military training program for new recruits. ".