Russian ally tests ‘switch from peacetime to wartime’

The Belarusian military launched a surprise military check, the Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday. It includes the introduction of “measures to switch from peacetime to wartime” in the capital, Minsk, it has said.

The goal of the exercise, which was conducted at the Minsk commandant’s office, is to “test the knowledge of the troops and evaluate their actions during a shift of the unit to the highest level of combat readiness,” the brief statement said, describing the drill as pre-planned.

Belarus is a close ally of Russia. In October, the two nations announced the creation of a joint military force, which is to be hosted by Belarus and is meant to bolster national security. Russia reportedly agreed to provide 9,000 troops, with the host nation contributing the bulk of the 70,000 military service members.