China and Belarus began joint military exercises on Monday, both defense ministries said, just a few kilometers from the border with NATO member Poland and ahead of the alliance’s summit in Washington this week.
“The events taking place in the world are alarming, the situation is uncertain, therefore we will practice new forms and methods of executing tactical tasks,” the Belarusian Ministry of Defense quoted Major General Vadim Denisenko, head of the Special Operations Command of Belarus, as saying in a Telegram post.
The exercises, codenamed Falcon Attack, will last until July 19, and are being held at a training ground near the city of Brest, the ministry announced. Brest, in the southwest of Belarus, lies on the border with Poland.
Leaders of 32 NATO member states are meeting in Washington on Tuesday for a summit where further military and financial support to Ukraine will be high on the agenda.
Belarus has allowed Russia to use its territory as one of the launch sites for Moscow’s aggression against Ukraine in 2022.
As part of the “anti-terrorist exercises”, the military personnel of both countries will work out the issues of night landings, overcoming water obstacles and conducting operations in populated areas, according to the press release of the Belarusian Ministry of Defense.
The ministry also posted a series of photos on Telegram showing Chinese troops and equipment being unloaded from planes over the weekend. On Monday’s posts troops are marching on the training ground. It is not known how many soldiers are involved in the exercises.
China’s Ministry of Defense announced in an English-language statement on Monday that Belarus held a “magnificent welcoming ceremony” for Chinese soldiers who arrived in Belarus on July 6.
“The joint training aims to improve the coordination capabilities of the participating units and deepen the practical cooperation between the two armies,” according to the ministry’s press release published on its website.
The Belarusian Defense Ministry announced on Monday that the size of NATO forces on the border with Belarus is growing rapidly, leading to increased tensions in the region.
“Our country is taking all possible measures to prevent escalation. However, if someone crosses our borders, the reaction will be harsh,” the announcement reads, Hina writes.
Photo: illustration
