Belarus servicemen to hold major trainings "Union Shield" in "Ashuluk", Russia.  

Vadim Scheglov reports: Ukrainians will partake in the maneuvers for the first time.
Joint Belarusian/Russian trainings "Union Shield" will be launched on September, 16. The main exercises will unfold on the land fields "Gorokhovetsky" and "Ashuluk". The location was chosen not accidentally. This time the military decided to exercise away from the borders of NATO members. Almost 5 thousand servicemen will be taking part in the military trainings from the Belarusian side.
A single regional air defense system will be tested for the very first time here, too. Belarusian salvo fires systems "Smerch", "Osa" and "C-300" will be able to shoot at maximum range, which is impossible on the land fields of Belarus.
(Petr Tikhonovsky, head of the Belarusian General Staff)
Also the Belarusian military will practice regrouping at long distances. All the precautions will be taken during the training exercises.
(Petr Tikhonovsky, head of the Belarusian General Staff)
CSTO trainings "Center" will be held simultaneously with those of the "Union Shield". Collective rapid deployment forces are there to fulfill its objectives. Students of the Military Academy and Military Department of IT and Electronics will be attracted for the first time.
These exercises took two years of preparations. Besides, the military emphasize purely defensive aura of these maneuvers.
The level of preparedness of the military men will be estimated later in September.