A surprise inspection of the Belarusian armed forces to assess their ability to guarantee the security of this former Soviet republic, ally of Russia, began today on the order of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said.
The servicemen participating in the inspection "must go to the designated zones as soon as possible, install engineering equipment there and organize their security and defense," the ministry said in a statement, which did not, however, specify the number of servicemen or the vehicles involved in this unannounced inspection.
They will also have to practice placing temporary bridges along the Neman River, which flows through Belarus, Russia and Lithuania, and the Berezina River, according to the same source.
Belarus, an ally of Russia, was used as a rear base by Russian forces in their offensive against Ukraine in late February, but the Belarusian army has so far not taken part in the fighting on Ukrainian territory.
In mid-October, Belarus and Russia had announced the creation of a joint military force, but it has only a "defensive" objective, according to Minsk.
Source: APE
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