Belarus has launched a surprise combat-readiness inspection of its armed forces, with one brigade ordered to leave its base and carry out missions focused on striking a potential enemy. Belarus has launched a surprise combat-readiness inspection of its armed forces, with one brigade ordered to leave its base and carry out missions focused on striking a potential enemy. Security Council Secretary Alexander Volfovich said the exercise would incorporate lessons from the wars in Ukraine and Iran and test units under battlefield conditions. The move comes days after CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced visit to Moscow. The Kremlin said he met Russian intelligence officials but not President Vladimir Putin. The Wall Street Journal later reported that Ratcliffe delivered a warning against any Russian attack on NATO. Belarus, Russia’s close ally, allowed Moscow to use its territory to launch the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Kyiv has also warned that Minsk is expanding military infrastructure near the Ukrainian border, including facilities that could support operations. A new Belarusian airborne-assault brigade is being formed near Gomel, about 40 kilometers from Ukraine.
