Belarus and Russia prepare for Zapad 2024 joint military exercises

The Russian military has begun preparations for the joint strategic military exercises with Belarus, dubbed Zapad 2024 (West 2024). 

Source: Belaruski Hajun, an independent Belarusian military monitoring media outlet

Details: Belaruski Hajun reports that in early September, a delegation from the Russian Armed Forces visited Minsk for visual inspection of troop deployment sites during the upcoming exercises.

The latest Zapad-2021 exercise took place in September 2021 at 14 training grounds in Belarus and Russia. They were attended by 2,500 Russian servicemen.

Background: 

• In November 2021, Chief of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov noted that the large-scale Russian military exercises Zapad-2021 showed Moscow's ability to simultaneously deploy more than 3,500 air assault and special operations troops.
• In June 2024, Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin stated that his country participated in the second stage of Russian military drills focused on the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.
• In August, Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, said that someone was allegedly advising him to turn away from Russia and side with Ukraine in the fight against Russia.

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