The joint exercises “ West-2021 '' started in Russia and Belarus. The maneuvers will take place from September 10 to 16 on the territory of the two countries and will become the most important in 2021. They will involve around 200,000 people, more than 80 planes and helicopters, up to 760 units of military equipment. Previously, it had been reported that Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko would participate in the exercises.
Joint exercises between Russia and Belarus “West-2021”
The opening ceremony of the joint strategic exercise “West-2021” in the Kaliningrad region © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Opening ceremony of the joint strategic exercise “West-2021” in the Kaliningrad region © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Departure of ships and support vessels of the Baltic Fleet at sea as part of SSU “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Opening ceremony of the joint strategic exercise “West-2021” in the Kaliningrad region © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Departure of ships and support vessels of the Baltic Fleet at sea as part of SSU “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Departure of ships and support vessels of the Baltic Fleet at sea in the cadre of SSU “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Departure of ships and support vessels of the Baltic Fleet at sea as part of SSU “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Departure of ships and support vessels of the Baltic Fleet at sea as part of SSU “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Departure of ships and support vessels of the Baltic Fleet at sea as part of SSU “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise” West-2021 “© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Russia
Joint strategic exercise “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise” West-2021 “© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Russia
Joint strategic exercise “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise” West-2021 “© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint exercises of Russia and Belarus “West-2021”
The opening ceremony of the joint strategic exercise West-2021 in the Kaliningrad region © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The opening ceremony of the joint strategic exercise “West-2021” in the Kaliningrad region © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise” West-2021 “© Ministry of the Defense of the Russian Federation
Departure of ships and support vessels of the Baltic Fleet at sea as part of SSU “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The opening ceremony of the opening joint strategic exercise “West-2021” in the Kaliningrad region © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Departure of ships and support vessels of the Baltic Fleet at sea as part of SSU “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise” West- 2021 “© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Departure of ships and support vessels of the Baltic Fleet at sea as part of SSU “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Departure of ships and support vessels of the Baltic Fleet at sea as part of SSU “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Departure of ships and support vessels of the Baltic Fleet at sea as part of SSU “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Departure of ships and support vessels of the Baltic Fleet at sea as part of SSU “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise” West-2021 “© Russian Ministry of Defense
Joint strategic exercise “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise” West-2021 “© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise” West-2021 “© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Joint strategic exercise “West-2021” © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Where will the exercises take place and who are their participants?
Joint Russian-Belarusian strategic exercises “ West-2021 '' will be held from September 10 to 16 at nine trial sites in Russia and five trial sites in Belarus. Spatial scope & mdash; more than 2,000 km: from Kaliningrad to the regions of Voronezh and Nizhny Novgorod. At the same time, the number of troops that will be under a single operational command will not violate the requirements of the 2011 Vienna Document on Confidence and Security Building Measures.
12.8 thousand people are involved in Belarus, including up to 2,500 Russian servicemen, more than 30 planes and helicopters, up to 350 units of military equipment, including about 140 tanks, up to 39; to 110 guns, multiple rocket launch systems and mortars.
Approximately 200,000 military personnel are involved in the strategic exercise. In addition to Russian and Belarusian servicemen, servicemen from Armenia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia are participating in the maneuvers. The training headquarters included officers from Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Military from China, Vietnam and Myanmar participate as observers. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, around 2,000 people from these countries came to the exercises.
What equipment will participate?
In total, more than 80 airplanes and helicopters, up to 760 units of various military equipment, including more than 290 tanks, more than 240 guns, multiple rocket launchers and mortars, and up to 15 ships will participate in the strategic exercises. No more specific information was provided.
Exercise legend
The Russian Defense Ministry stresses that these maneuvers are purely defensive in nature and aim to train troops. As an opponent in the exercises “ West-2021 '' no specific country is taken into account. According to army assurances, a conditional military-political situation will be created during the exercises, where the conditional “ Polar Republic '' state will be created. will act as an opponent. It is assumed that, having developed armed forces, the enemy tries to put pressure on the “Central Federation”. Escalating tension escalates into armed conflict.
Objectives
The main focus is & mdash; check the level of combat readiness and the capacity of the military command, ensure the security of the Union State. These joint maneuvers take place every two years in accordance with the decision taken by the presidents of the two states. Traditionally, this year they become the last stage of the joint training of the armed forces of the two countries.
This time, during the exercises, the level of readiness and the ability of the military command and control bodies of the troops of Belarus and the Russian Federation to carry out joint actions to resolve the tasks of providing military security and military service. The territorial integrity of the State of the Union, their interaction during the conduct of hostilities will be put to the test. Commanders, commanders and headquarters for the control of the armed forces of the two states will receive the practice of repelling aggressions against the state of the Union.
When moving on the training grounds, first of all, the actions are practiced under the conditions of a large-scale war with the use of conventional weapons. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also reported that during the “ West-2021 '' exercises army plans to practice covert troop deployments. The experience gained during hostilities in modern armed conflicts will be used: the actions of the battalion's tactical groups when repelling drone strikes and low-flying targets, as well as combating objects at large speed.
The Ministry of Defense also notes that during the exercises of the Airborne Forces for the first time, more than 30 units of BMD-4M (airborne armored vehicle) of 15 Il-76MD aircraft are parachuted.
In addition , it is planned to deploy high-tech weapon systems, such as S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, capable of repelling cruise missile strikes … It is also planned to deliver strikes with Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles.
Reaction to exercises
Information on Zapad-2021 exercises; provoked a reaction in the West. For example, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on Russia to speak openly about joint exercises with Belarus “ West-2021 '' and name the number of military personnel participating in it due to fears from the Baltic states, Poland and Ukraine over Moscow's intentions. In his opinion, Russia should behave in a predictable and transparent manner.