Opinions & Interviews

IVATSEVICHI DISTRICT, 19 September (BelTA) – The Zapad 2017 army exercise is an open one. The observers get full answers to all the questions, BelTA learned from Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Moller, an international observer from Sweden, in the Domanovo army exercise area on 19 September.

Thomas Moller and observers from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, Ukraine, and Poland watched the second stage of the Belarusian-Russian strategic army exercise Zapad 2017 in the Domanovo exercise area. “I wouldn’t say the Zapad 2017 army exercise represents some kind of a threat to Belarus’ neighbors. One should differentiate an army exercise from something else,” said the lieutenant colonel.

The observer noted that he was in artillery while on active duty in the Swedish army, this is why he had been watching the exercise in the Domanovo exercise area with strong interest. “We saw several air defense systems in action and missile launches in real time. It was impressive. All the targets were hit in rather a professional manner,” noted the observer.

According to Thomas Moller, the Zapad 2017 army exercise is proceeding in quite a transparent manner. “We get full answers to all the questions we ask,” he noted.

Lieutenant Colonel Kiss Kaupo of the Estonian army backed his colleague. “It is just a regular army exercise. Every country is allowed to arrange them,” he added.

A mixed unit consisting of one battalion of air defense missile systems S-300 and one battery of air defense missile systems Osa worked together with battlefield air defense units in the Domanovo exercise area on 19 September. In line with the concept of the exercise the mixed unit had to repulse group strikes of the enemy’s air force units, which were simulated by two Mi-8 helicopters and four Yak-130 aircraft. Two Osa air defense missile systems and Igla portable air defense missile systems successfully destroyed the targets.

As many as 150 personnel and 45 military and special vehicles were used in this episode of the Belarusian-Russian strategic army exercise Zapad 2017.

About 50 reporters from Germany, France, the USA, the UK, Ukraine, Russia, Baltic states covered the exercise.