British intelligence: ‘Russia is almost certainly keen to promote Belarussian forces as posturing against NATO’

Russia is almost certainly keen to promote Belarussian forces as posturing against NATO, the British Defense Ministry said, Report informs.

According to the information, on 7 August 2023, the Belarussian Ministry of Defence announced that the 6th Separate Guards Mechanised Brigade (6 SGMB) would conduct an exercise in the Grodno area of north-western Belarus, near the Polish and Lithuanian borders.

The British MoD said that the exercise intended to incorporate lessons learnt by the Russian military in Ukraine: “There is a realistic possibility that the Belarussian troops will be joined by a small number of Wagner Group advisors acting in a training role. These specific exercises are highly likely part of the Belarussian military’s routine training cycle. 6 SGMB’s home garrison is in Grodno, and it is unlikely that the formation is currently deployed with the enablers it would need to make it combat-ready.”