Russia and Belarus will hold the Zapad (West) 2021 strategic exercise on Sept. 10-16 in the territories of both countries, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Jan. 18.
“There are plans to hold the Zapad 2021 exercise over seven days, from Sept. 10 to 16, under the supervision of the chiefs of general staff of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation,” the statement said after Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin delivered a report to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
The exercise “will be based on a scenario of evolutionary escalation of the military-political situation around mock countries,” the statement said.
“The Russian side has proposed that the exercise take place in the territory of both countries against the same operative and strategic backdrop. That will allow practicing engagement of the regional group of Belarusian and Russian forces and army operations,” it said.
The exercise will practice new methods of joint operations of combined assault units in a highly urbanized environment, will assess the efficiency of new and modernized weapons and military hardware, and will share combat experience of Russian officers. “The joint strategic training reaffirms solid allied relations and the unity of views of the defense ministries of Belarus and Russia on the provision of military security of the Union State,” the statement said.
Minsk is ready to invite Western observers to the Zapad 2021 exercise, Khrenin said. “Let them watch, we are open and are ready to demonstrate the condition of our armed forces,” the SB. Belarus Segodnya newspaper quoted him as saying. “Despite negative rhetoric of the West on the upcoming exercise, our country will independently decide which exercises to hold and when,” the minister said.
Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Commander Igor Golub said last week that Belarus was planning to conclude a contract with Russia for the delivery of S-400 Triumf long-range air defense missile systems and Pantsir-S close-range air defense missile systems.
The Russian-Belarusian regional group of forces has been operating since 1999.
