CSTO exercises begin in Belarus, Russians to share experience of war against Ukraine
Joint exercises with the Collective Security Treaty Organization's (CSTO) Rapid Response Forces have begun in the city of Vitebsk and at the Lepel training ground in Belarus, during which Russian troops plan to share their experience of the war against Ukraine.
Source: Interfax, citing the Belarusian Defence Ministry; Colonel Grigory Kurchaninov of the Russian Armed Forces, as reported by the Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency TASS
Details: Pavel Muraveiko, Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Defence Minister of Belarus, said at the opening ceremony: "Today the military-political situation in the world cannot be described as calm and in these circumstances we must keep our powder dry."
After the opening ceremony of the CSTO exercises, Muraveiko also confirmed that the participants of the Zapad-2025 exercises, which will begin on 12 September, will rehearse planning for the use of nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, Kurchaninov told journalists that Russian servicemen at the CSTO exercises in Belarus would share their combat experience from the war against Ukraine.
"The Russian Federation's military contingent has arrived at its deployment site for the exercises. From tomorrow we begin training and conducting the combat tasks set by the command. Personnel from the Russian Federation are taking part [in the exercises] and will also be passing on their experience from the special military operation [or SMO, as Russia calls its war against Ukraine], introducing certain elements we are using in the area of the SMO," he said.
For reference: From 31 August to 6 September, Belarus is hosting three joint and special exercises under the CSTO's Combat Brotherhood operational-strategic exercises: Interaction-2025, Search-2025 and Echelon-2025. Over 2,000 servicemen and 450 pieces of equipment will take part.
The Zapad-2025 exercises will be held in Belarus from 12 to 16 September. Their declared focus is the deployment of troop groupings in the interests of ensuring the military security of the Union State.
Background:
- Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin stated that Russia and Belarus intend to work out a plan for the use of nuclear weapons and Oreshnik missile systems during their joint Zapad-2025 exercises on 12-16 September.
- The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned Minsk against reckless provocations and advised it not to approach Ukraine's borders amid planned military exercises on Belarusian territory.
- On 18 August, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service reported that the first trains transporting Russian equipment to be used in joint military exercises had arrived in Belarus. The situation on the Belarusian border remained unchanged.
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