Armed Forces of Belarus
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus (Belarusian: Узброеныя сілы Рэспублікі Беларусь [УС РБ], romanized: Uzbrojenyja sily Respubliki Bielaruś [US RB]; Russian: Вооруженные силы Республики Беларусь, romanized: Vooruzhennyye sily Respubliki Belarus) are the military forces of Belarus. It consists of the Ground Forces and the Air Force and Air Defence Forces, all under the command of the Ministry of Defence. As a landlocked country, Belarus has no navy, however the Belarusian military does have control over some small Soviet inherited naval vessels in its rivers and lakes.
Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus
1992
Ground Forces
Air Force
Special Forces of Belarus
Transport Troops
Territorial Troops
Defense Ministry, Minsk, Belarus
Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin
Major General Pavel Muraveiko
Yes[1]
365,400(2021)
US$0.880 billion (2022)[4]
1.2% (2022)
Belarusian Plant of Precision Electromechanic
Kalashnikov
In 2017, IISS estimated that personnel in the armed forces numbered 49,000, and nearly 350,000 reserves. Most soldiers are conscripts serving for a period of 18 months, although there is an alternative service option. The Belarusian military still holds many Soviet military laws and holds high numbers of reserve personnels as a high priority.[5]
Belarus conducted military reforms in the early 2000s which reshaped its armed forces as a relatively effective force for a small state in somewhat difficult economic conditions.[6]
Personnel[edit]
Military commandants[edit]
The military commandants of the Armed Forces of Belarus are regional administrations tasked with overseeing Belarusian regiments in the commandant's territory. Units are assigned to a specific commandant based on their location. There are 6 military commandants in the Belarusian Armed Forces.[39]
Institutions and special units of the armed forces[edit]
Museum of Military History of Belarus[edit]
The Museum of Military History of Belarus (Russian: Музей военной истории Беларуси) is located in the Pyershamayski District of Minsk.[59] It was established as the Museum of the History of the Belarusian Military District, opened in Minsk on February 21, 1978. In July 1993, it was converted into a museum on the military history of Belarus. The exhibits are the same as before the collapse of the USSR, with a small section on the medieval history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania having since been added.[60] Its collection numbers over 18 thousand exhibits. The most ancient of them date back to the 6th century.[61]
The Battle Banner of a military unit is a symbol of the unit, retained throughout its lineage. Changes in the name and numbering of a military unit are entered in the Certificate of the President of the Republic of Belarus, issued upon presentation of the Battle Banner. The Battle Banner is awarded to formations, brigades/regiments, battalions, divisions, air squadrons, training units, and military educational institutions. Guards units are awarded with a black-and-orange guards ribbon attached to its shaft. Upon presentation of the Battle Banner to a military unit, a Diploma of the President of the Republic of Belarus is issued. In the event of the loss of the Battle Banner, the commander of a military unit and its servicemen are subject to legal consequences and the military unit is disbanded.[66]
The following is a list of notable Belarusian military pieces:[67][68]