MINSK, January 18. /TASS/. Russian troops have begun arriving in Belarus in a surprise inspection of the Union State’s response forces, the press office of the Belarusian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.
"In accordance with the approved plan of an inspection of the Union State’s response forces, units of the Russian Armed Forces have begun arriving in the Republic of Belarus," the ministry said in a statement.
The troops will be arriving throughout the first stage of the drills considering that the maneuvers are a surprise combat readiness inspection, it said.
"At this stage, the troops participating in the inspection will carry out unloading operations and move to the area of accomplishing their tasks," the statement says.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko approved on Monday a plan of the Union Resolve 2022 Russia-Belarus joint operational drills that will run on the republic’s western and southern borders on February 10-20. Before the drills, the Russian and Belarusian militaries will hold a surprise combat readiness inspection of the Union State’s response forces.
The Russia-Belarus joint group of forces is a mechanism of strategic deterrence and has been set up to repel large-scale aggression against the Union State. The operation of the joint group of forces is stipulated in the Union State’s agreements for defending its western borders.