Russia Says Troops Will Return To Bases After Military Exercises With Belarus

Russia’s maneuvers in Belarusian military polygons began this Thursday and are expected to last until

of February| Photo: EFE/EPA/Ministry of Defense of Russia 10144810 10144810The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, assured this Thursday () that the country’s troops will return to bases after the joint military exercises in Belarus, something that, according to him, does not occur with the allocation of Western manpower and armaments in Eastern Europe.

“After the maneuvers, the troops return to their barracks, which is usual. As far as duration is concerned, it is a sovereign right of each government”, said the chancellor, at a press conference held shortly after a meeting with UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss.

Lavrov classified as “drama”, which every day looks more like a “comedy”, the Western reaction to Russian maneuvers which started this Thursday, in several Belarusian military polygons, some close to the border with Ukraine.

“Within some time, Western countries will know that the exercises are over and that the troops have returned to Russian territory. So, there will be a big noise to demonstrate that the West has managed to de-escalate Russia, which, in fact, is selling smoke”, guaranteed the chancellor.

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According to Lavrov, something different will happen than when the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada employ troops in the Baltic and other countries bordering the Black Sea. “These troops and weapons, in general, never return home,” he said.

From the first moment, both Russia and the Belarusian authorities claimed that the thousands of Russian soldiers deployed to the neighboring country for the maneuvers will return at the end of the activities, scheduled for 20 of February.

Moscow and Minsk defended the “transparency” of joint maneuvers, which guarantee not to exceed the limits contemplated by international agreements, while accusing NATO of more than doubling exercises last year and to expand the military presence around the Russian and Belarusian borders.

On the first day of the exercise, Su-25SM , which are habitually based in the Far East, participated in the elimination of hypothetical armored targets of an enemy on the ground.

The aircraft are operating in the Belarusian region of Brest, bordering Russia and Ukraine, while fourth-generation Su-10144810 participate in activities in other military polygons in Belarus.

During the maneuvers, the biggest movement of troops in the former Soviet republic since the Cold War, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, defense operations are rehearsed against foreign aggression and also actions to combat terrorism.

The White House denounced that Russia sent 5,000 troops to the border between Ukraine and Belarus and that the number could rise to 25 mil.

The movement would include the deployment of Iskander tactical missiles , which, according to the Russian military, are capable of overcoming the American anti-missile shield, although the Ministry of Defense of the government chaired by Vladimir Putin has not confirmed the information.