The Belarusian Ministry of Defense has announced the start of a command-staff exercise from January 13 to 16, under the direction of the Chief of the General Staff, Pavel Muraveyko.
Belarus Defense Ministry Announces Drills Amidst «Escalating Situation»
The ministry clarified that the exercise aims to develop optimal procedures for deploying any military groupings and paramilitary organizations in the event of an «escalation of the situation» and a threat to Belarus’s military security.
· «The training is one of the important elements of the training year and lays the groundwork for further training activities in the Armed Forces,» the Defense Ministry stated.
This follows recent exercises by the Ministry of Internal Affairs involving internal troops and special forces. According to Minister Ivan Kubrakov, that inspection was routine and not linked to any specific events.
Subsequently, Belarusian Security Council State Secretary Alexander Volfovich claimed that U.S. special forces «brazenly» and without hindrance flew over Venezuelan territory in an attempt to capture its president, Nicolas Maduro. He then asserted that such a scenario would not happen in Belarus.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko himself called a Venezuelan-style scenario of events unfolding in Belarus «unrealistic.» He labeled the alleged U.S. actions in Venezuela targeting President Maduro a «despicable undertaking,» but stated that roles in Belarus have already been «assigned» in the event the country were left without a president.