MINSK, December 20. /TASS/. Russian and Belarusian troops from the regional group of forces are holding joint combat training drills to practice unit cohesion, the Defense Ministry of Belarus reported on Tuesday.

"The Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation making part of the regional group of forces are carrying out unit cohesion measures on the territory of Belarus. At the Brestsky training ground, the Belarusian and Russian troops continue holding joint combat training drills to practice elements of tactical, firearms, medical and engineer training, as well as riding combat vehicles across rough terrain," the ministry said in a statement.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on October 10 that Belarus and Russia had begun deploying a regional group of forces mostly made up of Belarusian military personnel. As the Belarusian leader pointed out, the decision to deploy the joint group of forces had been made during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and was prompted by the escalation on the Belarus-Russia Union State’s western border.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry announced on October 15 the arrival of the first military trains with Russian troops in the republic. As the ministry specified, the Russian military contingent in the joint regional group of forces would total about 9,000 personnel and there were plans to deploy about 170 tanks, up to 200 combat armored vehicles and up to 100 artillery guns and mortars to Belarus from Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on December 19 following the talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in the capital of Belarus that Moscow and Minsk would continue the practice of joint drills and other combat training measures, including as part of the joint group of forces.