Deputy Interior Minister and commander of the internal troops Mikalai Karpiankou said that the creation of special-purpose units within the internal troops is justified by the experience of countering “color revolutions” in Georgia, Serbia, and Iran.
“While improving the organizational structure, we take into account the military and political situation around Belarus. We aim not only to strengthen the officer corps but also to enhance combat capabilities. Analyzing attempts at ‘color revolutions’ in recent years, we see that in Georgia, Serbia, and Iran, the most effective law enforcement response to provocations and operations to neutralize leaders and instigators of mass unrest came from professional, well-armed, and mobile special units,” he said in an interview with SB.by.
Karpiankou also referred to the experience of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“The experience of the special military operation shows that special forces successfully carry out a wide range of combat tasks with minimal losses. Therefore, three years ago, the interior minister placed emphasis on developing special-purpose units within the internal troops,” he added.
According to him, special units now make up 35% of the internal troops. In total, 13 such units have been created. They perform “tasks related to criminal police work, counterterrorism and counter-extremism, as well as covering small towns and border settlements.” The units have been equipped with new grenade launchers, anti-tank guided missiles, flamethrowers, heavy machine guns, and BTR-82A armored personnel carriers.
Last year, three centers for unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic warfare were established within the internal troops. A similar center is planned for the “Buran” special forces unit in Homiel.
Karpiankou also said that 20% of personnel in the internal troops are officers, 60% are warrant officers and contract servicemen, and another 20% are conscripts.
“Our conscripts are special: they joined our troops voluntarily, passed a special selection process, and have impeccable records. Most are good athletes with higher or specialized secondary education. They serve with combat weapons. After completing their service, they become a strong кадровый reserve and mobilization resource,” he said.
He added that special-purpose platoons have also been formed within police brigade patrol battalions.
“We added special forces platoons to special-purpose units. Thus, a small number of conscripts perform tasks alongside professionals, so that young servicemen can see the сложности of the work and learn its specifics. Each candidate for further contract service in combat groups was selected not over a few days but throughout their entire service as a special forces conscript. Based on their performance, they may be offered a place among professionals. This system can be compared to hockey farm clubs, where the next generation is trained with a view to the future,” Karpiankou said.
In the future, the internal troops plan to further specialize police brigades. For example, the 1st separate special police brigade will become an operational-purpose brigade.
“This decision was made taking into account the wide range of tasks performed today by military unit 5448. It is no longer limited to patrol service in Minsk but also includes convoy duties, escort missions, court security, and more. The ‘Granit’ special unit, part of the brigade, has been partly deployed on a rotational basis in Yelsk and the Yelsk district for the past year and a half. Therefore, we proposed — and the interior minister supported — transforming unit 5448 into an operational-purpose formation, in line with its functions.
In addition, we plan this year to grant special-purpose brigade status to unit 3310, located in Akolitsa in the Minsk district, as the 2nd separate police brigade currently performs many complex tasks. Its ‘Tornado’ special unit will be expanded,” he said.
