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Bruce K. Anderson

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Bruce K. Anderson

Tag Archives: Belarus

Zapad 2013: the Belarusian and Russian armies’ anti-NATO integration exercises

26 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in Baltics, European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense, Russia

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Tags

Baltic Sea, Belarus, Kaliningrad, Military exercise, NATO, Russia, Russian Armed Forces, Steadfast Jazz 2013, Zapad 2013

Russian Army T-90A during a training exercise.

Russian Army T-90A during a training exercise. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Andrzej Wilk, Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW), Sept. 25, 2013

On 20-26 September, the active (military) phase of the strategic-level exercises held by the armed forces of Russia and Belarus, entitled ‘West 2013’, were held. This was the largest joint exercise both armies had ever carried out; including the ranges in the western part of Belarus, Kaliningrad and the Baltic Sea, over 22,000 soldiers took part in it. For the Russian army, ‘West 2013’ did not constitute a particular challenge, coming as it did as part of the larger series of exercises arranged in parallel in the Murmansk oblast and the Barents Sea. For the Belarusian army, however, this year’s joint exercises are the biggest undertaking in military training it has carried out for two decades. Above all, ‘West 2013’ was a test of the integration of the Belarusian and Russian armies, and particularly of the former’s ability to act within the norms and structures of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The scenario and nature of the ‘West 2013’ exercises leave no doubt that the Russian/Belarusian forces are training to conduct regular military operations, and their potential opponent is the NATO countries bordering with Russia and Belarus. In political terms, however, we can observe a certain duality in Russia’s approach to NATO. On the one hand – thanks to the information about the exercises reported in media – we see that Moscow is aiming to provoke a negative reaction from its western neighbours. But on the other – from its joint non-military exercises (the ‘Vigilant Sky 2013’ anti-terrorist exercises held in parallel with ‘West 2013’) – it has tried to allay NATO’s concerns regarding the objectives of Russia’s military policy towards Europe… (more)

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Bloomberg: Russian War Games on Baltic Border Spark Security Fears

24 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in Baltics, European News, Foreign Policy, Russia

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Tags

Baltic, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, NATO, Russia, Soviet Union, Steadfast Jazz, Zapad 2013

Post-Soviet states in alphabetical order: 1. A...

Post-Soviet states in alphabetical order: 1. Armenia, 2. Azerbaijan, 3. Belarus, 4. Estonia, 5. Georgia, 6. Kazakhstan, 7. Kyrgyzstan, 8. Latvia, 9. Lithuania, 10. Moldova, 11. Russia, 12. Tajikistan, 13. Turkmenistan, 14. Ukraine, 15. Uzbekistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Ott Ummelas & Aaron Eglitis, Bloomberg, Sept. 20, 2013

Baltic officials said regional security had been weakened as Russia led military exercises on their doorstep involving almost 12,000 troops.

A week of land and sea maneuvers dubbed “Zapad 2013,” or “West 2013,” began today as part of biennial exercises with Belarus, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on its website. Troops in both nations tested coordination in destroying “illegal armed formations,” it said.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which regained independence in 1991 after half a century of Soviet rule, joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2004 amid Russian opposition. NATO has held exercises in the Baltic region since 2010, while Russia has opened new military bases and deployed more troops on its western border in recent years, according to the defense ministers of Estonia and Latvia… (more)

Related articles

  • Russian war games with 12,000 troops trigger Baltic concern (stripes.com)
  • Commanders Discuss NATO-Russian Observations of Military Exercises (news.err.ee)
  • Russian Military Exercise Focuses on Western Nations, Says Reinsalu (news.err.ee)
  • Defense Forces Express Surprise at Scale of ‘Zapad’ (news.err.ee)
  • Russian paratroopers arrive in Belarus for Zapad-2013 military exercises (indrus.in)
  • HS: Large-scale Russian military exercises begin close to Finland (rusfinrelations.wordpress.com)
  • Verkkouutiset.fi: Russia simulates occupation of Baltic countries (rusfinrelations.wordpress.com)
  • [Photo] Eight Russian combat planes skirted Estonian airspace on their way to huge Zapad 2013 exercise (theaviationist.com)
  • “Immense” Russian – Belarusian military exercise (possibly focused on neutralizing an ethnic unrest) taking place in eastern Europe (theaviationist.com)

Rasmussen Urges Russia to Be Open With NATO About Baltic Drills

04 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in Baltics, European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense, Russia

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Baltic region, Belarus, NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Russia, Secretary General of NATO

English: A map of the Baltic region, showing t...

A map of the Baltic region, showing the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Bryan Bradley, Bloomberg, Feb. 1, 2013

Russia should share more information with NATO about military exercises the country conducts in the Baltic region, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.

“We don’t have detailed information about upcoming Russian military exercises,” Rasmussen told reporters today in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, when asked about the West 2013 exercise that Russia and Belarus plan in September. “It’s of utmost importance to demonstrate openness and full transparency when it comes to military exercises.” … (more)

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  • NATO’s Rasmussen Warns Defense Cuts Could Endanger Alliance Power (brucekanderson.com)
  • Rasmussen: NATO Must Be Ready For Any Future Threat (eurasiareview.com)
  • NATO: No Backing Down On Missile Shield (rferl.org)
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CSTO Joint Military Maneuvers Continue In Armenia

18 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in European News

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Armenia, Belarus, Collective Security Treaty Organisation, Collective Security Treaty Organization, CSTO, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Military exercise, Russia, Tajikistan

English: Collective Security Treaty Organisati...

Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) members. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, September 17, 2012

Joint military exercises of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), involving about 2,000 troops from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, are under way at Armenia’s Marshal Baghramian training ground. The war games, which kicked off on September 15 and will run until September 19… (more) http://ow.ly/1mudY3

Related articles
  • CSTO 2012 military drills in Armenia postponed (panarmenian.net)
  • And then there were five (thehindu.com)

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