‘Joint staff training’ involving Russian troops begins in Belarus
The ministry said that during the week representatives of the military departments of the two countries "will work on the issues of joint planning of the use of troops based on the experience of armed conflicts in recent years."
Read also: Joint aviation exercises with Russia to kick off in Belarus
The theme of the drills is as follows: "Decision-making on the use of a regional grouping of troops (forces) in the interests of ensuring the military security of the Union State."
The “Union State” is how Belarus and Russia describe the Moscow-dominated partnership between the Belarusian and Russian dictatorships.
Read also: Belarus unlikely to invade Ukraine, believes Ukrainian military intelligence
The Belarusian Ministry of Defense stated that the training is "aimed at increasing the compatibility of the military authorities of the two states" and "is the next stage of preparation for the joint operational exercise" 2023 Union Shield, which will be held in Russia in September 2023.
In a December interview with UK news magazine the Economist, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said that Russia could launch a new offensive in February.
According to Zaluzhnyi, the offensive could take place not in Donbas, but in the direction of Kyiv from Belarus.
Read also: Ukraine would have enough time to react to potential invasion from Belarus
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Jan. 24 warned that Russia was amassing forces for a new large-scale offensive.
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
