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Russia delivers new batch of BTR-82A combat vehicles to Belarus

In addition to the BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, BTR-80K command vehicles and BMM armored medical vehicles arrived for the 6th mechanized brigade, the Belarusian Defense Ministry informed

BTR-82A combat vehicle Peter Kovalev/TASS

BTR-82A combat vehicle

© Peter Kovalev/TASS

MINSK, December 9. /TASS/. A new batch of Russian-made BTR-82A armored personnel carriers has arrived in Belarus and will enter service with the mechanized brigade stationed in the western Grodno Region, the press office of the Belarusian Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.

"A train with BTR-82A armored personnel carriers has arrived from the town of Arzamas in the Russian Federation to the Grodno garrison for the 6th separate Guards mechanized brigade," the ministry said in a statement.

"This is a planned delivery of military hardware from the Russian Federation under the planned rearmament of the armed forces of our state," the press office quoted Brigade Commander Dmitry Mitskevich as saying.

Commander of the Western Operational Command Major General Igor Demidenko said that the personnel of a battalion of the mechanized brigade had already undergone training at the 72nd Guards Joint Training Center for Warrant Officers and Junior Specialists and were ready to accomplish tasks using the new armament and military hardware.

In addition to the BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, BTR-80K command vehicles and BMM armored medical vehicles arrived for the 6th mechanized brigade, the Belarusian Defense Ministry informed.

The first batch of Russian-made BTR-82A armored personnel carriers arrived in Belarus at the end of September this year. The BTR-82A is the latest Russian wheeled armored vehicle that went into service in Russia in 2013 and replaced the Soviet BTR-80. Armored personnel carriers of this type are also operational in the armies of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

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