Lukashenko orders sudden combat-readiness check as CIA chief visits Moscow
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has ordered an emergency combat-readiness inspection of the armed forces, timed with a visit to Moscow by CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Belarusian officials directly linked the two events in their statement.
Belarus's self-proclaimed president Alexander Lukashenko has ordered an unscheduled combat-readiness inspection of the country's armed forces, the Belarusian Defense Ministry announced.
According to the ministry, the decision was made while CIA Director John Ratcliffe was visiting Moscow. Belarusian officials explicitly tied this timing to the launch of the inspection.
What the inspection involves
As part of the check, one of Belarus's army brigades will leave its permanent base and carry out a series of tasks. The exact nature of these tasks has not yet been disclosed.
Alexander Volfovich, State Secretary of Belarus's Security Council, explained that the specific tasks will be determined by the armed forces command, the General Staff and the relevant military units. Special attention during the inspection will reportedly be given to methods of suppressing an adversary's fire capabilities, drawing on recent years' combat experience in Ukraine and Iran.
Volfovich said the goal of the exercise is to assess how prepared Belarusian army units and formations are for modern warfare. He urged the public not to be alarmed, stressing that there is nothing unusual about the ongoing inspection.
