In defense of common interests: how are the military exercises of Russia and Belarus "Allied determination - 2022"

On the territory of Belarus on February 10, the Russian-Belarusian military exercises "Allied Resolve - 2022" started.

They became the second stage of checking the combat readiness of the reaction forces of the Union State.

The maneuvers will last until February 20.

“The exercise is being carried out in order to work out the tasks of suppressing and repelling external aggression in the course of a defensive operation, as well as countering terrorism and protecting the interests of the Union State,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Training takes place at the Domanovsky, Gozhsky, Obuz-Lesnovsky, Brest and Osipovichsky training grounds.

The airfields of Baranovichi, Luninets, Lida and Machulishchi are also involved.

As part of the first stage of testing the reaction forces, the S-400 Triumph air defense systems, the Pantsir-S short-range air defense system division, fourth-generation Su-35 multirole fighters and Su-25SM attack aircraft were relocated to Belarus.

The total number of troops and the number of weapons deployed in Belarus were not disclosed.

However, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry, Sergei Shoigu, at a conference call with the leadership of the Armed Forces on February 1, said that there was no excess of permissible standards.

“I emphasize that the number of participants in maneuvers and main weapons systems does not exceed the parameters established by the Vienna Document 2011 (on confidence and security building measures. -

),” the minister said.

• Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

• Legion Media

According to this international agreement, its participants are allowed not to be notified about military activities if the number of forces involved does not exceed 9 thousand people.

The document also sets limits on the concentration of tanks, armored fighting vehicles, artillery pieces and other types of military equipment.

Despite this, as noted in the Ministry of Defense, the department “within the framework of voluntary transparency” informed foreign partners about joint maneuvers.

Neutralization of threats

As part of the exercises, Russian and Belarusian military personnel are practicing a number of activities.

Among them are the strengthening of sections of the state border of Belarus in possible directions of illegal penetration into its territory, the blocking of channels for the delivery of weapons and ammunition, the search for and destruction of illegal armed formations and sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the enemy, as well as certain issues of post-conflict settlement.  

On the eve of the start of the exercises, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov, arrived in the republic to check the readiness of formations and military units.

This year, Russian authorities, subunits and military units of the Eastern Military District (VVO) are also involved in the maneuvers.

This decision was commented on January 18 during a briefing for foreign military attaches by the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Colonel-General Alexander Fomin.

According to him, in the space of the Union State "a situation may arise when the forces and means of the regional grouping will not be enough to guarantee security."

In this regard, Moscow and Minsk came to an agreement that in such a situation it would be necessary to strengthen the grouping.

In addition, Fomin said that as part of the test of the reaction force of the Union State, it is planned to prepare the troops for actions not only within their boundaries of responsibility, but also "to solve suddenly arising tasks of localizing crisis situations in any threatened directions."

In general, the main result of the measures taken should be "an assessment of the ability of military command and control bodies and troops to fulfill the tasks of ensuring the military security of the Union State," Fomin noted.

In turn, the First Deputy Minister of Defense of Belarus, Major General Viktor Gulevich, at a similar briefing on January 27, emphasized that the maneuvers are purely defensive in nature and do not pose a threat to neighboring states.

According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, a number of events have already been held as part of the exercises.

Thus, the units of the Marine Corps of the Air Defense Forces at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground worked out the detection and destruction of illegal armed formations in urban areas.

The command posts of the mock enemy at the Brestsky training ground were destroyed by artillerymen of the Air Defense Forces.

In addition, combat crews of the S-400 VVO air defense systems were deployed as part of the Unified Regional Air Defense System of Belarus and Russia, and the crews of the Su-25 aircraft of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) of Russia practiced an air strike on ground targets with various maneuvers.

Criticism from the West

It should be noted that the Russian-Belarusian exercises are taking place against the background of the myth supported by the West about the allegedly planned “invasion” of the Russian Federation into Ukraine, against the background of which accusations against Moscow of escalating tensions do not subside. 

“I think if you look at the preparations for these exercises, then this is more, of course, perceived by us as a step towards escalation, and not de-escalation,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing on February 9.

Earlier, on February 3, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, at a press conference following talks with North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski, said that the alliance was seeing the “largest deployment” of Russian armed forces in Belarus since the Cold War.

According to him, Moscow allegedly sent combat units numbering 30 thousand people there.

In turn, Polish President Andrzej Duda on February 7, at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General, expressed his fear that Russia could leave its troops in Belarus after the exercises and thereby change the security architecture in Eastern Europe.

At the same time, in Russia, such a scenario for the development of events has been repeatedly rejected.

“No one has ever said that Russian troops will remain on the territory of Belarus, this has never been discussed ... We are talking about allied exercises and, of course, it is understood that upon completion of these exercises, the troops will return to their permanent locations,” emphasized 8 February press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov.

A similar statement was made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a joint press conference with his British counterpart Liz Truss.

At the same time, he expressed confidence that the West would try to present the fact of the return of the Russian military home as a diplomatic victory.

“After some time, Western countries will find out that the Russian-Belarusian exercises have ended and Russian troops have returned to Russian territory.

And then a big fuss will be raised in order to prove that the West has achieved de-escalation from Russia,” the minister said.

At the same time, NATO continues to build up its forces in the immediate vicinity of the Russian borders.

In particular, the Pentagon on February 2 announced plans to send additional military forces to Romania, Poland and Germany.

• NATO flag

• Legion Media

And Liz Truss on January 30 announced the intention of the country's authorities to double their military contingent in Estonia.

Similar plans were announced on January 24 by the NATO press service, announcing the dispatch of additional ships and fighters for deployment in Eastern Europe.

In addition, NATO military exercises are planned in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

in one formation

Experts interviewed by RT note that the current exercises can be considered a reaction of Moscow and Minsk to the militarization of border areas by NATO and Ukraine.

In particular, the head of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, Alexander Mikhailov, stressed that in this way the Russian Federation and Belarus demonstrate that they are ready and able to defend their interests.

“We are demonstrating to the West our ability to resist aggression against us and militarily.

Because, as time has shown, the West mainly responds to force.

However, in this regard, it is also important to maintain a balance between such a military demonstration and a diplomatic line, ”Mikhailov argues.

This opinion is shared by a military expert, retired colonel Viktor Litovkin.

He noted that the allies, in the framework of the current exercises, demonstrate the coherence of interaction and the ability to solve important strategic tasks, which serves as a signal to Western partners that there is a force to be reckoned with.

In particular, according to him, Russia has shown that it is capable of promptly deploying military formations and equipment over long distances.

“Thus, we make it clear that we can protect national interests, that we have such opportunities and that the Russian Federation and Belarus are in a single ranks no matter what,” Litovkin said.

In turn, Alexei Podberyozkin, director of the MGIMO Center for Military-Political Studies, recalled the difficult international situation in which the exercises are taking place.

“The current tension is not conducive to these maneuvers being carried out in a calm manner.

The supply of foreign weapons to Ukraine, the mobilization of extremist forces, attempts to integrate Kiev into the Western military infrastructure - all this created special conditions for the Allied Resolve," he explained.

At the same time, as Viktor Litovkin notes, the West is annoyed by the fact that Russia skillfully adapts to external challenges.

“NATO countries, led by the United States, believe that only they have the right to shape the global military-political agenda.

As in the case of the Russian Armed Forces, which the West keeps demanding to withdraw somewhere, although the Russian Federation has repeatedly said that this is an internal affair of the state and pointed to the concentration of alliance forces near its borders.

However, according to Washington and Brussels, their armies are subject to completely different norms.

Such a hypocritical campaign does not suit Moscow, ”the analyst summed up.