Belarus recently conducted extensive tank exercises, including live-fire exercises, at the Gozhsky military training ground near the border with Lithuania, News.Az reports, citing Caliber.az.

The exercises were conducted both during the day and at night as part of the Belarusian Armed Forces’ biannual training program.

During the exercises, standard artillery pieces were fired and, according to reports, all planned objectives were achieved. In addition, Brest paratroopers took part in parachute jump practice as part of these maneuvers.

In response to the military activities near the border, Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas announced that Lithuania had stepped up its defense measures. The country has, among other things, procured and deployed “dragon’s teeth”-type anti-tank barriers to strengthen its border defenses against potential threats from Russia and Belarus. Kasciunas stressed that the defense equipment, worth 4 million euros, will be positioned at 27 strategic points along the border.

Lithuania plans to fully equip these 27 defense points by the end of the year, with the first installations expected to be operational in September. The Defense Minister noted that some of the defenses will be built near the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and others closer to Belarus. The country has allocated a significant budget of 600 million euros over the next decade to improve its border defenses. The bulk of these funds will be earmarked for the acquisition and installation of mines and other anti-mobility means.

The ongoing military exercises in Belarus and Lithuania’s defence preparations reflect the increased security concerns in the region and underscore the increased military readiness and strategic positioning of both countries in response to regional tensions.

News.Az