Scheduled End of Russian Military Drills Means Not One Soldier Remains in Belarus

Feb. 17, 2022 (EIRNS)—No Russian troops will remain on Belarusian soil following the scheduled Feb. 20 end of military drills. The Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei remarked of the Russian maneuvers at a press conference, reported AFP yesterday: “Not a single serviceman, not a single unit of military equipment will remain after this [completion of drills]. This has also been stated by the Defense Ministry, President Lukashenko has also said this, and the Belarusian side stated this during various events within the OSCE framework.”

Makei further remarked that the Russian-Belarusian drills had been scheduled in advance. “This exercise helps test the combat readiness of the Union State’s forces and means. The fact that they take place on Belarusian soil is quite justified. We see the activity displayed by NATO at our western border and in Ukraine. And this is the response to the actions undertaken by our Western partners.”