MINSK, October 13. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, at a meeting with law enforcement and security officials, explained why regular inspections of military personnel and training are necessary – especially for those who, in the event of wartime, will be called up from the reserve.
"I won’t hide this from my potential adversaries in a future conflict – God forbid, of course – but I constantly remind the defense minister that today the country must have designated points where armed forces will be deployed instantly, within 24 hours – and our logistics allow us to do this in Belarus – and these points will be occupied. Fortified areas, as we used to call them. There are a certain number of them on the western border," his press service quoted him as saying.
Lukashenko said that every military serviceman must know every point, especially those who will be called up from the reserve.
"I remember this from my own military service in the army. We were taught back then: if something happens, you must be in that trench with that weapon. We are doing the same today so that our military personnel know which direction to act in. We’ve been there more than once, we’ve visited this fortified area, and we know what weapons they’ll use to defend our country," he explained.
"And our foes should know: we know our Belarus well. We know whether tanks can pass through the wooded and swampy terrain somewhere or not. If they can’t, we know where they’ll go. We clearly understand where we need to deploy our armed forces."
Lukashenko noted that under the current conditions, it will not be possible to build roads through the swamps, as it was done at the beginning of Operation Bagration in 1944. According to him, modern weapons, in particular drones, will not allow this to be done.
Thus, there is a clear understanding of where a potential adversary might cross the border, the head of state pointed out.
"That’s where we must block everything. It’s simple and clear; no grand strategy is needed from the Defense Ministry. I say it again: this is very important for those whom we will call up from the reserve, so that they know where they are," he said. "Because [Deputy Interior Minister, Commander of Interior Troops Nikolay] Karpenkov will transfer its flying detachments to the right place within a few hours. But when they are fully equipped, having conducted combat coordination from conscripts, they should know which trench they will be in.
"I’m saying this so that the Defense Ministry and the minister understand what I expect from you. This isn’t even about the experience of the special military operation in Ukraine – it’s just ordinary experience in the armed forces. We’re working through it, and we need to work through it carefully, without haste."