On 16 October, during military exercises in the Verkhnodvinsk District of the Vitebsk Region, Alexander Lukashenko called on members of the people’s militia to learn how to «dodge bullets». He instructed that such units be formed in every village council in Belarus, promised them weapons and announced a large-scale inspection of the militia and territorial defence forces.
Briefly about the main points
- Lukashenko said that physical fitness is more important than the ability to shoot.
- Plans are in place to form units of the people’s militia in all village councils.
- Participants are promised automatic weapons, machine guns and grenades; Lukashenko also spoke favourably of the use of drones in training.
- The authorities will inspect the coordination between units, the storage of weapons and the protection of infrastructure.
- In «Krasny Bor», the militiamen train every week.
Physical fitness is more important than shooting
Lukashenko He visited a training session held by a unit formed at the «Krasnyi Bor» hunting estate and the tourist complex of the same name. The unit comprises staff from these organisations.
In a conversation with the participants, he stated that the most important thing was «not even shooting», but physical training. Lukashenko spoke of the need to run fast, take cover, assess the situation and act whilst under fire. His press office quoted the remark about dodging bullets in inverted commas.
Network of detachments and inspection of defence units
Lukashenko has ordered the formation of people’s militia units in every village council. According to him, members will be supplied with small arms — assault rifles, machine guns and grenades; he also spoke favourably of the use of drones in training.
Belarusian leader He described the defence system as comprising three tiers: the people’s militia, territorial defence and the regular army. According to him, the militia are to defend local residents and settlements, whilst territorial defence is to protect key infrastructure in particular. All units, as Lukashenko stated, will be under his command.
A large-scale inspection of the national militia and territorial defence forces is to be carried out in Belarus in the near future, Lukashenko has announced. The authorities plan to assess the personnel’s level of training, inter-unit coordination, the condition of weapons and the ability to defend critical infrastructure.
The «Krasny Bor» unit holds training sessions every week, and in the summer, three-week training camps are organised for participants, covering physical training, hand-to-hand combat and weapons handling. Lukashenko also mentioned the Vitebsk Region’s proximity to neighbouring countries NATO and stated that Belarus has no plans to attack other states, but must be prepared for a possible military conflict.
The law on the national militia in Belarus was signed in July 2023. Official guidance from the Ministry of Defence stipulates that such units are to be staffed by volunteers, with their strength determined by local authorities and defence councils depending on the tasks at hand and the number of volunteers.
