Belarusian special mission units will for the first time land in the Baltic

Large landing ships of Russia’s military fleet are taking Belarusian paratroopers on board for practicing joint actions in the Baltic Fleet’s polygons.

The information comes from Belarus Defense Ministry’s press-service.

“Yesterday an echelon carrying personnel and equipment left from Viciebsk for Leningrad region in order to participate in the military exercise West-2013. Military personnel and equipment of the 350th separate guard mobile battalion of the 103th separate guard mobile brigade will take part in the exercise in the territory of the Russian Federation.

According to the plan, having arrived to Leningrad region Belarusian paratroopers will reload the property and equipment onto large landing ships of the Russian military fleet and will take a two-day journey over the Baltic Sea to the site of the exercise”, - the Defense Ministry notes.

This is the first military exercise in the history of special missions with the access to the Baltic Sea.

“The maneuvers will be held at two polygons in Kaliningrad region. In the Pravdinskiy polygon our troops will practice joint actions together with the 7th separate motorized infantry regiment of Russian Armed Forces, and in the Khmeliovka polygon paratroopers will carry out practice combat tasks together with the 336th mariners separate guard brigade”, - the statement says.

We would remind that the military exercise that will take place on 20-26 September has already cause concern of Belarus’ neighbors.

There is not yet enough official information on the exercise’s scenario and the forces participating, however there is an assumption that they will be reminiscent of the military exercise West-2009 that caused huge resonance. Over 12 thousand troops took party in the exercise then. The military practice was officially called defensive, aimed at supporting the strategic stability in the region. However, according to some reports, their scenario stipulated an attack on the territory of the Baltic States and a preventive nuclear strike at Warsaw.