‘Everyone should keep doing their jobs if we don’t want a war to happen’

The President of Belarus got acquainted with domestic developments of the military-industrial complex at the Obuz-Lesnovsky combined-arms training ground in the Brest Region

The Head of State was shown unmanned aerial systems that are in service at the army, as well as promising developments. The Head of State paid particular attention to the Belarusian solutions.
Among the models presented were reconnaissance aerial vehicles, strike systems and a reconnaissance and strike unmanned helicopter that has no analogues in the world. Only the USA has similar solutions, but their effectiveness is much lower. Moreover, it is interesting that the Americans do not share these solutions with their partners. As the President was told, some of the products are in service, some are undergoing tests, and some have been handed over to the army for trial operation. The software and control systems of Belarusian drones are also of the Belarusian make.
The National Academy of Sciences also presented its solutions. These products are also in demand abroad. The academy plans to improve technology.
“You need to pick up steam,” the Head of State demanded.
From the observation post, Aleksandr Lukashenko got acquainted with the combat use of unmanned aerial vehicles, the integrated combat use of anti-UAV weapons and the use of a multi-level automated control system for a battalion tactical group.
The President was also shown other models of weapons, military and special equipment that were developed by the domestic defence industry and are now in service at the Armed Forces. Those included optical-electronic equipment for guarding borders and infrastructure installations, laser and electromagnetic weapons, a robotised weapon system, combat and reconnaissance vehicles, a modernised armoured personnel carrier, and a T-72BM2 tank fitted with anti-armour missile defences.
Aleksandr Lukashenko asked crews of the vehicles about the performance and peculiarities of the hardware. “70 shots, 67 hits,” the military personnel responded.
The President was shown individual first aid kits and medical kits for various purposes. Some of the kits are meant for a group of patients, others are individual ones.
“An individual first aid kit should not be worse than NATO’s. It should be better. Do not keep it simple,” emphasised 
Aleksandr Lukashenko.
He talked to media representatives during his visit to the Obuz-Lesnovsky combined-arms training ground.

Answering journalists’ questions, the Head of State noted that Belarus had large-scale army equipping plans worth billions of dollars until 2030. The country has implemented four or five armament modernisation programmes.
“During the Syria operation and before the Ukrainian operation, we discussed ways to modernise our Armed Forces. There were eye-watering plans, I admit it. The military rolled out the plan until 2030 worth billions of dollars,” the Belarusian leader explained.
But when the special operation began, it showed that the strategy must be adjusted. Belarus made its conclusions. 
“Today we realised that there is no victory in our wooded and swampy area, as the military says… The terrain in the north of Ukraine up to Kiev is similar to the one in Belarus. It is even more difficult here. Without the boots on the ground, armoured personnel carriers, tanks, armoured vehicles and other things. This hardware is suitable for defence too. 

You can get carried away with stories from the media and other bloggers and go very far, spending a lot of money, and yet failing to achieve the result you aim for. Therefore, having drawn the conclusions, we will cut the financing probably five times or maybe more but still will achieve the result we need. 

The experience has shown that the military prefer simpler, but modernised and reliable hardware. Among them is the time-proven T-72 tank. Upgraded T-72 tanks are in service in the Belarusian army. After all, there are many cases when the most modern, sophisticated tank with various features fails and military personnel do not know what to do with it,” the President said.
“Military guys want their hardware to be simple and reliable. All kinds of bells and whistles are good, until they aren’t,” the Head of State stressed.
The President was shown a T-72 tank ungraded using Belarusian developments of the military-industrial complex. It is not inferior to the most advanced tanks. 
“This is our way. We have begun to modernise these tanks. We will accelerate this programme. The main thing is to teach people. If all tank crews in our country work like these guys, we will not be afraid of any wars,” the Belarusian leader noted. 
Aleksandr Lukashenko also told reporters that Belarusian unmanned aerial vehicles have proven themselves well, and the demand for them is already high.
The President stressed that the Belarusian army is primarily geared towards defending its territory instead of attacking, this is why the appropriate weapon systems are being developed,

“Of course, we are the world leaders in this regard, and it is as important as having drones capable of delivering strikes against certain targets. A dozen of such green vehicles can fully protect the southern border of our country with Ukraine from drones and other aerial targets.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasised after the demonstration of combat capabilities of Belarusian drones, “All the systems are improved and work quite well. All of them hit targets. It is good. We will continue working. We have something to work on. But the demand for them is already high. I don’t mean Ukraine. Before Ukraine.”
The Head of State told reporters when commenting on fake news about an allegedly secret and clandestine mobilisation going in the country.
“Pay no heed to this wailing. We don’t intend to go anywhere today. General Khrenin said it right and precise: if you don’t want to fight us, then there will be no war,” the Belarusian leader stressed.
If someone brings a war to Belarusian land, then naturally everyone will rise up to defend the country. 
“What else can we do? If we want to protect our land, our home, our children. But no war today. We don’t need any. If they come here, well, here we are training. You can criticise us for it, including me. But I believe that everything needs to be done, it is necessary to count on our own strength. I’ve been preparing for war. For 25 years at least. I didn’t invent the phrase: if you want peace, prepare for war. So I am preparing as the commander-in-chief. Because I will be the first to blame otherwise,” the Belarusian leader stressed. 
Aleksandr Lukashenko suggested coming down to earth and explained how mobilisation is organised. A person gets a draft notice or gets notified through other channels and comes to the local military registration and enlistment office. The office sends the person to an appropriate army unit depending on the person’s military specialisation.
“Give me at least one example when a person was summoned to a military registration and enlistment office, was given a rifle, to put it bluntly, and was sent to an army unit. They should take a reality check and show to reporters where we’ve sent these people. And you will be free to go there and talk to them or attend training sessions. If there are any,” Aleksandr Lukashenko proposed.

The President once again reminded that in this case Belarus is learning from experience of certain shortcomings of mobilisation in Russia. 
“They sent a draft notice to a person, but the person is long gone. Some are dead and things like that. This is why the army has been instructed to use military registration and enlistment offices in order to polish the notification procedure first and foremost. It is not always possible to summon a person by sending a draft notice like in the old days. Which means they have to send an SMS or use radio or contact the employer and so on. In other words, they have to practice contacting the people we want to mobilise. Then, once the person is found, he is summoned to the military registration and enlistment office, they look at him to find out whether he is fit for military service or not. That’s the end of it, go and relax, man. This is the kind of mobilisation we have: people get summoned, their parameters get measured, to put it bluntly, and they get back to work! What mobilisation are you talking about?” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The President explained that they are simply verifying and updating military records and, it is done every year on a regular basis. Individual army units may be brought up to strength through test musters.
Aleksandr Lukashenko asked top army officers whether a test muster was in progress anywhere. He was told that none were.
The President also reminded that territorial defence is very important for Belarus, and he had always paid close attention to it, “Everyone needs to learn how to defend their home. We’ve arranged tests for this purpose, too.”
People’s militia is another military branch based on rural councils. 
“In other words, everyone needs to know how to fight and how to shoot. As my mother would say: ‘Son, keep studying, you won’t have to carry the knowledge on your back’. My family practices the same approach despite the fact that I am the President. All my children are military. Even the youngest one. They are getting ready to defend themselves and the country. 

You have to calm down. Everyone should keep doing their jobs if we don’t want a war to happen,” the Head of State said.

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by
Photos by BELTA