By Olga Makei: 273 accredited foreign journalists, including those from Qatar, Japan, the USA, Canada and many other countries, observed the maneuvers Zapad-2017. Today, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Belarus spoke with the press. Alexander Lukashenko shared his impressions about the exercises and touched upon the development of the Belarusian army and its technical equipment, attempts to discredit Zapad-2017 and the presence of Russian troops on the territory of Belarus.
Some Western media tried to present joint exercises as an information bomb. However, the Belarusian President blocked these attempts even before the start of the maneuvers, saying that Zapad-2017 will be held as openly as possible.
Zapad-2017 is an exceptionally defensive exercise. Such maneuvers are an important test for combat readiness. Alexander Lukashenko repeated more than once: the Belarusian army should be able to rebuff, have the equipment and skills in order to fight back in the event of an armed conflict. It is important to have country’s own powerful military equipment. The Polonaise complex, capable of hitting targets at a distance of 200 kilometers, is just one example of modern Belarusian high-precision weapons.
