MINSK. June 29 (Interfax) - New Belarusian special forces units will be put on duty on July 10, Belarusian Deputy Interior Minister, Interior Ministry Forces Commander Nikolai Karpenkov said.
"The interior minister has set the task of enhancing the Interior Ministry Forces' combat capacities, and of course the formation of special [forces] units is the main reserve. We already have the Rys unit and the Berkut special unit. Another three special units have been formed in Grodno, Gomel and Brest. They will begin to fulfill their missions on July 10," Karpenkov said on the STV state-run television channel.
"They are armed and equipped. New armored vehicles are being supplied to these units. [...] The interior minister oversees such units, and of course, we procure the most advanced weapons," he said.
The units are trained by "a group of very good instructors, who were battle-hardened in Ukraine, Syria and Libya and visit Donbass to interact with local instructors," Karpenkov said.