Chernobai comments on the establishment of Southern Operational Command

The creation of the Southern Operational Command is a forced measure – as noted by Andrei Chernobai, a military analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies

“At the moment, we have two operational commands: western and north-western, which control the corresponding sections of the borders. For many years it was calm on the border with Ukraine, and we were on friendly terms. Meanwhile, for some time now, the course of our southern neighbour has changed dramatically, which has led to the emergence of specific risks and threats to Belarus’ security. In recent months, we have been forced to strengthen the protection of the state border with Ukraine at the expense of additional military units. However, these units have their own tasks that they must perform in the first place. The creation of the Southern Operational Command will enable us to balance the situation, since specific forces and means will appear to deal exclusively with strengthening our southern borders. As a result, we will receive reliable state protection from three sides, and residents of the regions adjacent to the new direction will feel more confident. The possibility of unpredictable actions by the highest level officials in the adjacent territory is the reason for the strengthening ground state borders, as well as the airspace. Moreover, we must be prepared for the appearance of sabotage groups. In general, the presence of our military units along the southern borders will be a factor in the strategic deterrence of aggressive manifestations from the outside,” the expert believes.