‘Russian and Belarusian army military near the Polish border is a clear warning sign to Poland from the Kremlin,’ claims Defence Minister Bogdan Klich.

The military manoeuvres, called ‘West 2009’, taking place in Belarus, are the biggest joint military training operation by Russian and Belarusian armies since the establishment of the Union State of Russia and Belarus in 1997.

The training started on 17 September and will last until 29 September with 12,500 soldiers, 228 tanks and 470 armoured vehicles taking part. According to the mock scenario, NATO forces are attacking from the west, and a counterattack must follow.

Defence Minister Bogdan Klich told Gazeta Wyborcza that Russian and Belarusian military training on such a large scale near the Polish border is a clear warning sign from the Kremlin. Klich said that Russia’s actions are ambiguous – on the one hand, Russian politicians are calling for open dialogue with Poland and, on the other hand, Russia organizes large-scale military exercises, which are a clear demonstration of its power. 

Representatives from Poland will be able to watch the military training on a VIP day on 29 September. Russian and Belarusian soldiers will also be observed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.