MOSCOW. Oct 12 (Interfax) - The United States deployed its 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team to Poland as the recent Zapad (West) 2017 Russian-Belarusian exercise was under way, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Thursday.
"Against the backdrop of hysteria about Russia's planned military invasion of Poland during the Zapad 2017 exercise, the U.S.' 2nd Armored Brigade was moved into Poland behind the scenes and was deployed there [in the populated localities of Boleslawiec, Drawsko Pomorskie, Torun, Skwierzyna, and Zagan] with its armored hardware," Konashenkov said.
"At the same time, the military hardware left behind in Poland and the Baltic countries by the U.S.' 3rd Armored Brigade has not gone anywhere," he said.
"Contrary to all statements made by NATO and the U.S. about an insignificant number of troops gathered near the Russian borders, it is now not a brigade but a mechanized division of the U.S. Armed Forces that has already de facto been deployed and to which it is possible to send prepared personnel from the nearest American base in Europe [Ramstein, Germany] within two hours," Konashenkov said.
A rotation of the U.S.' 3rd Armored Brigade, which was stationed in Poland and the Baltic as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, took place as the Zapad 2017 drills were under way, he said.
In order to avoid violating the NATO-Russia Founding Act during this rotation, the 3rd Armored Brigade's personnel should have been replaced by servicemen of the 2nd Armored Brigade, while the hardware, namely 87 tanks, heavy self-propelled howitzers, and 144 infantry fighting vehicles, should have stayed, he said.
The Zapad 2017 Russian-Belarusian drills "concluded as planned and on the scheduled date before the eyes of dozens of military attaches," Konashenkov said.
"Units of the Russian Armed Forces returned from Belarus to their permanent bases," he said.
Zapad 2017 drills were held at training ranges in Russia and Belarus from September 14 to September 20. A total of 12,700 servicemen were involved in them, according to official figures.