MOSCOW. Feb 21 (Interfax) - The Belarusian and Russian presidents have decided to continue the checking of the Union State rapid deployment forces, an exercise involving largescale maneuvers in Belarus, due to the growing military activity close to the Union State's external frontiers and the escalation in Donbas, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said.
"In view of the growing military activity near the Union State's external borders and the aggravation of the situation in Donbas, the presidents of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation have decided to continue the inspection of the rapid deployment forces of the Union State," the Belarusian Defense Ministry quoted Khrenin as saying in its statement on Telegram.
During the further inspection, stages of the Unions State's defense will undergo detailed consideration, as those were not encompassed by training earlier, he said.
"In general, its focus remains unchanged as it is aimed at ensuring an adequate reaction and de-escalating the military preparations of the ill-wishers near our common borders," Khrenin said.
Belarus' Security Council state secretary Alexander Volfovich said earlier that despite the end of the Russian-Belarusian joint exercise Union Resolve 2022, the check of combat preparedness could continue. "The exercise is one of the stages of the check's final stage. The exercise itself is over. The inspection can be extended. The inspection's director will decide when and for how long," the Belarusian state-run news agency BelTA quoted Volfovich as saying.
Russia and Belarus launched the Union Resolve 2022, a largescale military exercise in Belarus, on February 10, 2022. Russia sent there a number of military units and forces of its Eastern Military District. The exercise finished on February 20.
The Russian military said earlier that units of the Russian Aerospace Forces and Airborne Forces had arrived in Belarus to take part in the exercise. S-400 Triumph long-range air defense missile systems, Pantsir-S short-range air defense missile systems, Sukhoi Su-35 fourth-generation multirole fighter jets and Sukhoi Su-25 assault aircraft were deployed from Russia to Belarus.
Minsk and Moscow said earlier that Russian troops would leave Belarus and return to their permanent bases after the exercise.
The situation began aggravating in the armed conflict zone in Donbas on February 17.
The authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) organized on February 18 an evacuation of their residents to Russia amid the escalation of the armed conflict in Donbas. Women, children and elderly people were to be evacuated first. The Emergency Situations Ministry of the DPR alone is planning to evacuate up to 700,000 people.
The maneuvers are being held amid a crisis in the NATO-Russia relations.
The U.S., other NATO countries and Ukraine warned earlier of a concentration of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine and an alleged threat of Russian invasion.
Moscow has repeatedly said that Russia has no aggressive plans with regard to Ukraine.
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