A number of Belarusian servicemen have departed for Russia in order to study the experience of Russians’ fighting against Ukraine. Reform.by asks iSANS CEO Vlad Kobets what such trip might mean.
According to the expert, the Belarusian military are going to adopt their experience of war pursuance in a comprehensive manner.
«In the plane flying to Kubinka, there were representatives of not only one branch of the military, there was a ‘patchwork’ group. Kubinka alone is the location area of the 38th Research and Development Test Institute which deals with the development, use and restoration of armored weapons and equipment as well as training of crews and recovery teams, the 45th Special Purpose Detached Brigade of the Airborne Troops which is taking part in the invasion of Ukraine, an airbase, and the 121st Aircraft Repair Plant. Perhaps, part of the Belarusian group will also go to other centers. That is, the Belarusian servicemen will be comprehensively adopting their experience of the war against Ukraine,» the expert says.
Such developments indicate that the Belarusian armed forces’ integration into the Russian army is getting to a whole new level, Kobets believes.
«It is not a secret that previously the Belarusian military have repeatedly travelled to Russia with the purpose of receiving training and instruction. For example, last year they were taught how to operate the Iskander-M ballistic missile system (such Iskanders were supplied to Belarus by Russia). In addition, since 2006, Belarusian servicemen have been trained at the universities of the Russian MoD within the framework of the implementation of the Agreement on training of military personnel for the CSTO member states. The agreement provides for more than 400 Belarusian servicemen’s being regularly trained in Russia at a time. Consequently, several thousand military specialists, mainly commanders, have been trained in Russia over the years. Last year, agreements on the creation of training and combat centers for joint training of military specialists from Belarus and Russia were ratified. That is, the integration of the Belarusian army into the Russian army has been for quite some time now; it has been rolled out according to the plan. But the fact that the Belarusian military are going to comprehensively study the experience of the war against Ukraine is indicative of a whole new level of their military cooperation. There will be more trips of such kind. In addition, the military who received training will subsequently multiply the experience gained. The MoD emphasizes that it is the instructors who are going to be trained,» he stressed.
«This is a portion of alarming information because it confirms suspicions that Putin’s ultimate goal is to establish a joint army with a single command center in Moscow. When this process is completed, the participation of the Belarusan military in a war against Ukraine (or against NATO countries in the next round of Russian aggression) may become only a question of time. When this next round will start depends on how the war in Ukraine will be developing. If it goes favorably for Putin or a ceasefire is reached, Russia will be able to rebuild its capabilities quickly enough; under such scenario, some predict its conflict with NATO countries as early as next year. If Putin gets bogged down in Ukraine, NATO will gain more time to restore mass production of equipment and ammunition, to prepare their armies and societies for defense,» Kobets concludes.
