Belarus deploys tanks & drone units to Nato’s ‘weakest link’ in war games to simulating destruction of enemy targets

BELARUS is simulating war games with tanks and drone units near Nato’s “weakest link” next to Poland’s border. Russia‘s closest ally has scrambled military training deployments to the defence pact’s doorstep – in Vladimir Putin‘s latest threat to the West. Belarus has launched military drills near a Nato ‘weak point’ Credit: East2West The Russian allied troops were seen drilling near Poland Credit: East2West The menacing four-day drills are taking place in Brest and Grodno regions, bordering Poland and Lithuania. Grodno sits adjacent to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic 40-mile-wide strip that connects the Baltic states to the rest of Nato. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Wedged between the heavily militarised Russian exclave Kaliningrad and Belarus, it has been described as Nato’s “weakest link”. Were the gap to be blockaded, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia could be completely cut off from allied land reinforcements. Tanks were part of the terrifying drills Credit: East2West The training drills took place near the Suwalki Gap Credit: East2West The fresh Belarussian military exercises are taking place within striking distance of the Suwalki Gap. Terrifying footage on Belarus state TV showed columns of armoured vehicles moving into position as troops marched on. Tank battalions were ordered to conduct searches and eliminate supposed enemy reconnaissance and sabotage groups during the practice runs. Commanders also tested artillery, concealed firing positions, drones and mobile teams designed to counter hostile unmanned aircraft. Most read in The Sun The Russian president pictured with Lukashenko, his closest ally Credit: AP Troops are drilling by the border in Putin’s latest threat Credit: East2West General Pavel Muraveiko, chief of the Belarusian General Staff, claimed emphasis was being put on faster battlefield decision-making. He said: “We are deliberately placing emphasis on training headquarters staff, because today a great deal depends on decision-making [and] on how quickly officials work.” The manoeuvres are “purely defensive,” according to the Minsk regime. Belarus, headed by Putin bootlicker Alexander Lukashenko, allowed Russia to launch its full-scale invasion of Ukraine from its territory in 2022. In recent days, Lithuania has simultaneously been holding exercises of its own across 12 municipalities. Meanwhile, a separate multinational drill near the Belarusian border involves about 2,500 troops from eight countries. Poland is also constructing fortified positions, surveillance systems and anti-drone defences along its eastern frontier. Nato has faced the threat of increased Russian drone carnage in recent days. The alliance has been forced to scramble jets several times in the last week – including when Boris Johnson was allegedly targeted in an attack on a train. Poland was today forced to shut down major airports and suspend dozens of flights amid a “military operation” in response to Russian strikes on Ukraine. Explosions were reported close to the Polish-Ukrainian border while thousands of attack threat alerts were sounded in the region. Two airports in Lublin and Rzeszow were suspended due to “operations of military aviation”, authorities said. The Polish Armed Forces said the operations were “in connection with strikes carried out by the Russian Federation using jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles on the western territory of Ukraine“. They added: “Ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance systems have reached a state of readiness.” The actions were aimed at “securing airspace and its protection especially in areas adjacent to threatened regions”, the military said. Both airports have since resumed operations following the temporary closure. Comment now