Belarus announces military exercises with Russia in 2023

Belarus’ Ministry of Defense has announced flight tactical exercises and staff training with Russia at the end of 2023 and declared readiness to "defend the Union State"

The Belarusian Ministry of Defense made the announcement.

Belarus’ Deputy Defense Minister Andrey Zhuk said that the training of the joint forces of Russia and Belarus "will be improved". At the end of 2023, a joint tactical flight exercise will begin in Belarus, and then joint staff training will be organized.

"One of the training stages will be a joint exercise, which will take place at the end of the year, "Shield of the Union - 2023", the Deputy Minister added.

He also said that since the end of October 2022, a joint group of Russian and Belarusian troops has been training in Belarus under the same program and with joint instructors. According to him, the soldiers underwent fire, medical training and "engineering training".

"Today we can state that the regional grouping of troops is ready to defend the Union State," Zhuk added. 

• On December 19, the representative of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus Valery Kovalevsky said that the Belarusian territory will play a bigger role in the war.
• On December 22, British intelligence reported that the Armed Forces of Belarus took over the training of mobilized Russian reservists, although Russia traditionally considered the Belarusian troops inferior to its own forces. Russia decided to take such a step due to the lack of its own personnel, many of whom are deployed in Ukraine or have been killed. 
• Later, the British Ministry of Defense said that Russia had probably sent units of the 1st Guards Tank Army of the Russian Federation to Belarus for training.
• On January 2, the Belarusian Hajun monitoring project reported that Belarus had extended joint military exercises with Russia until January 8. Military exercises in Belarus have been going on since April 29, i.e. for 36 weeks.