Belarus, Russia conduct joint military drills amid NATO tensions

Moscow and Minsk insist, however, that the drills are defensive, adding that Western information concerns are ‘nonsense’.

Russia has showcased immoderate of its precocious weapons portion conducting a associated subject drill with Belarusian troops amid heightened tensions with NATO countries pursuing alleged violations of the airspaces of Poland and Romania by Moscow.

Approximately 7,000 troops, including 6,000 Belarusian soldiers, participated successful exercises held astatine locations successful Belarus and Russia.

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Russia conducted a trial onslaught with a Kalibr rocket from the atomic submarine named Arkhangelsk successful the Barents Sea during the associated Russia-Belarus “Zapad” subject drills, Russian quality bureau Interfax reported connected Monday. The onslaught connected the designated people was carried retired by the submarine from an underwater position, Interfax reported.

Moscow and Minsk insisted connected Tuesday that the drills are defensive, meant to simulate a effect to an invasion.

But NATO states on the alliance’s eastbound flank spot them arsenic a threat, peculiarly aft alleged Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace past week. Warsaw has since warned that “open conflict” is person present than astatine immoderate constituent since World War II. Romania connected Sunday accused Russia of drone incursion during its attacks connected Ukraine.

Britain’s Labour Party-led authorities connected Monday announced its combatant jets volition alert aerial defence missions implicit Poland to antagonistic aerial threats.

Russia has been astatine warfare with Ukraine since it launched a crushed penetration successful 2022.

Belarus’s Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin dismissed the NATO concerns.

“We person heard a batch of things … that we are threatening NATO, that we are going to invade the Baltic states,” helium told reporters astatine the Barysaw base, eastbound of Minsk. “Simply put, each kinds of nonsense.”

Still, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania person stepped up security, closing borders and carrying retired counter-drills.

Belarus invites planetary observers

Belarus allowed uncommon media access, inviting overseas journalists, TV crews and adjacent US service officers.

“Thank you for the invitation,” Bryan Shoupe, the US subject attache, said arsenic helium shook hands with the Belarusian defence minister.

“Give the American guests the champion places and amusement them everything that interests them,” the defence curate said. Cameras captured Khrenin shaking hands with 2 US Army officers, thanking them for attending.

The drills were a tightly choreographed amusement of force. Camouflaged armoured vehicles splashed crossed a river, helicopters swooped debased implicit treetops, and young conscripts loaded shells into artillery systems. Others prepared drones for mock strikes.

Reporters were excluded from the naval manoeuvres successful the Barents and Baltic seas, arsenic good arsenic the exercises adjacent Grodna, adjacent to the Polish and Lithuanian borders.

Minsk highlighted the constricted standard of the drills, stressing that lone 7,000 troops were involved. By comparison, the 2021 Zapad exercises included astir 200,000 personnel, conscionable months earlier Moscow launched its full-scale penetration of Ukraine.

Khrenin said the reduced numbers reflected Minsk’s efforts to easiness tensions. “We person thing to hide,” helium insisted. “We are lone preparing to support our country.”

Belarus besides pointed to the planetary presence, saying observers from 23 countries attended, galore of them long-standing allies of Minsk and Moscow.