Contents tagged with Belarus
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Media: Russian-Belarussian Zapad-2107 exercises enter active phase
The joint military Zapad-2017 exercises conducted by Russia and Belarus entered an active phase, during which a simulated attack by a potential enemy will be worked through, reports Belarusian news agency BelTA.
The second stage of the exercises began on September 17, during which issues will be worked out regarding directing troops and conducting military operations in order to repel aggression against the countries.
According to the agency, there are about 12,700 servicemen participating in …
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Russia gives Belarus $700 million loan ‘to strengthen friendly relations’
The authorities of Belarus announced the receipt of a Russian-allocated loan of $700 million.
"On September 15, 2017, the state financial loan from the Russian Federation was fully credited to the Ministry of Finance’s account," the Belarusian Ministry of Finance reported.
The loan is granted to the republic for a ten-year period. In the order signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev it was noted that the money was allocated "in order to strengthen further friendly relations” and to allow the …
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Ukrainian State Border Service: Russia does not have sufficient troops in Belarus to attack Ukraine
The troops of the Russian Federation that will be involved in the Zapad 2017 military exercises in Belarus are not enough to invade Ukraine, as stated by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Speaker Oleh Slobodyan on Pryamy TV. "I do not think that Putin is preparing to open a new front. Even if he is, the forces that they accumulated in Belarus are not sufficient for offensive actions, if we are talking about Ukraine. Although we should not forget about the Baltic countries," he said. …
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Belarusian opposition staged a protest against Zapad-2017 military exercises
An unauthorized rally of the group "For a Peaceful Belarus" was held in Minsk, protesting the Russia-Belarus joint military exercises Zapad 2017, as reported on the tut.by website.
More than 100 people took part in the rally, including opposition politicians and activists. After it ended, those present on the square adopted a resolution. In particular, the protesters opposed the idea of Belarus being “drawn into a confrontation” between Russia and Ukraine.
The exercises will be held at …
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Belarus denies entry to six Lithuanian MPs
Six Deputies from the Lithuanian Seimas that were invited to take part in the discussion "Regional Security and Exercises West 2017" on September 11th in Minsk were refused a Belarusian visa. The Belarusian authorities have not commented on this decision yet.
As the Co-Chairman of the Round Table Committee, the leader of the United Civil Party (UCP), Anatoly Lebedko, told Deutsche Welle that throughout the day on September 8th, the final decision on the Lithuanian deputies was postponed …
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Ukraine strengthens its borders ahead of Russian-Belarusian Zapad-2017 military exercises
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) will intensify guarding the borders during the Zapad 2017 joint Russia-Belarus military exercise, as stated by Oleh Slobodyan, an assistant to the head of the SBGS.
According to Slobodyan, Russian troops began to arrive in Belarus before the beginning of the exercise. Therefore, "it is necessary to control the situation."
"We started command and staff exercises during which the border line was fortified in all directions without exception, …
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Muzhenko: Russia’s Zapad-2017 military exercises threaten NATO
The Zapad 2017 exercises have a broader context than it has been announced by Russia. They have the goal of preparing the Russian forces for offensive action, and are a threat both to NATO and to the states of the post-Soviet space, stated Viktor Muzhenko, Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as reported by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
“We are considering various scenarios of enemy action, including offensive action,” he noted.
According to …
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Putin and Lukashenko to inspect Zapad-2017 joint military exercise
The Presidents of Russia and Belarus, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, respectively plan to visit together the strategic Zapad (West) 2017 exercise, which will include large-scale maneuvers from both armies. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Vladimir Putin explained to Izvestia newspaper that the two presidents intend to visit one of the training grounds in Russia.
The joint Russian-Belarusian strategic exercise Zapad 2017 will be held from September 14 to September 20, 2017. According to …
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Belarus: hype around Zapad-2017 military exercises incomprehensible
Belarusian Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Oleg Belokonev called the excitement around the Russian-Belarusian Zapad-2017 exercises, which will be held in September, incomprehensible. He assured that the Russian group participating in the exercises in the territory of the Republic of Belarus would return to Russia by September 30, BelaPAN news website reports.
"The exercise will allow us in practice to improve infrastructure sharing arrangements in the interest of ensuring the …
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Ex-Candidate for the presidency of Belarus arrested in Minsk
The leader of the Belarusian National Congress and former Belarusian presidential candidate Mikola Statkevich was arrested, as reported by his wife Marina Adamovich. "Mikola was arrested today at about 12 pm, not far from home, when he was going to a meeting," she wrote on Facebook. According to the wife of the activist, he was taken to a temporary detention center on Okrestin Street in Minsk. In early August, the court sentenced Statkevich in absentia to administrative arrest for 15 days for …