Chief of the Russian General Staff General Valery Gerasimov has arrived in Belarus to check the preparedness of Russian troops for the Union Resolve drills, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
According to the ministry, the drills come as the final stage of the troop inspection that kicked off in January based on a decision made by the presidents of Russia and Belarus.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced earlier that the inspection of the response forces of the Union State of Russia and Belarus would take place in two stages. The first stage, which lasted until February 9, included the redeployment of troops and the creation of task forces in Belarus, as well as activities to ensure the security of crucial government and military facilities and protect the state border in the airspace. In addition, the preparedness and capabilities of air defense quick reaction alert forces in terms of shielding crucial facilities were also checked.
The Union Resolve drills will be held at the second stage of the inspection on February 10-20, with troops practicing ways to repel external aggression, combat terrorism and protect the interests of the Union State.
