«We continue the snap inspection of the combat readiness of the Armed Forces according to the plan of the head of state. Personnel are now being tested for physical endurance. Servicemen have to meet physical training standards by completing a 5km forced march as part of a unit. A forced march is a test of physical endurance for personnel, but it is also an indicator of the psychological resilience of the military collective and shows the readiness of the military personnel to act in extreme conditions. As I have already said, the distance is 5km, and the distance between the first and last servicemen to reach the finish line must not exceed 50m. No more than two servicemen are allowed to drop out of the race. We can see that the weather is complicated today, with the air temperature of 10C below zero and high humidity. All this has a certain impact on the actions of the military personnel,» said Sergei Brizinsky, Deputy Chief of the Military Security Office of the State Secretariat of the Security Council of Belarus. 

He also pointed out that the results of the forced march will be reported to the supervisor of the inspection, State Secretary of the Security Council Aleksandr Volfovich, who in turn will inform the head of state. «The results shown by the servicemen are good,» Sergei Brizinsky noted.

Among the participants in the forced march was platoon commander Ilya Klimchuk. «The personnel routinely perform the same exercises that they have to perform as part of the snap inspection. Soldiers also have to meet standards for strength, endurance, and speed. As for strength, they have to complete pull-ups on the bar and push-ups. As for speed, they have to run for 100 meters. And they have to run for 1km and 3km to demonstrate endurance,» emphasized Ilya Klimchuk.

The serviceman also pointed out that the inspection ordered by the president has a stimulating effect on the soldiers. «It is motivating that we are getting this kind of attention. But anyway, we always perform the tasks before us at a high, quality level,» the platoon commander noted.

Corporal Zakhar Molodechkin shared his impressions of the forced march. «We ran for 5km while carrying an assault rifle, a gas mask, and a magazine pouch. We ran quite well. The distance was pleasant, and there was little snow. It was a bit tough, but the most important thing is that our soldiers have character and didn’t give up halfway,» Zakhar Molodechkin emphasized.

• Night shooting drills were also held at the Lepelsky training ground today, during which servicemen fired small arms, AGS-17 Plamya grenade launchers, and combat vehicle weapons.

BelTA reported earlier that the large-scale inspection of the Armed Forces authorized by the Belarus president began on 16 January. Aleksandr Lukashenko closely follows its progress. A new system has been worked out to enable the president to place military units on combat alert without involving the Defense Ministry and the General Staff. The primary goal of this inspection is to see an objective picture. This is why the events are sudden.