The exercises will take place “as part of a surprise check of the combat readiness of the Airborne Forces” in the Grodno region. Il-76 aircraft will be used for the landing.
The Grodno region is located in the west of Belarus and borders on Poland and Lithuania, where the migration crisis is currently being observed.
Context:
This year the Baltic states and Poland faced the problem of illegal migration from Belarus.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on September 17 that there are more than 10 thousand migrants from the countries of the Middle East, which can be used to conduct hybrid attack against Poland and Lithuania.
The presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, during a meeting in Kiev on 23 August, issued a joint declaration, in which they named migration crisis on the border with Belarus “a politically controlled hybrid operation carried out by the Lukashenka regime” in which “defenseless citizens of third countries are exploited.” Its purpose is to “divert attention from the more frequent violations of human and civil rights by the regime “.
On the morning of November 8, Belarusian media reported that to the border with Poland a large column of migrants advanced, they are accompanied by people in military uniform. The State Border Committee of Belarus said that this “step of despair” of the refugees “was prompted by the indifference and inhuman attitude of the Polish authorities”, and the Belarusian side “is taking the necessary measures to ensure the smooth functioning of international communication channels, as well as the safety of people moving along the highway.”
Due to this Polish Ministry of Defense has raised readiness territorial defense troops on the border with Belarus. More than 12 thousand soldiers are on duty at the border. In addition, Poland sent to patrol the border with Belarus military helicopters… Servicemen to the Belarusian border also sent Lithuania and for the first time since independence declared a state of emergency.
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