Иван Кубраков. Фото: МВД
Interior Minister Ivan Kubrakou заявил that in 2020 security forces used only one-third of their available resources and warned that they will act decisively in the future. He made the statement while opening command-staff exercises in Brest.
“As part of large-scale exercises, similar events have already been held in Minsk, and today Brest will be tested. The task is to assess the ability of the operational headquarters of the regional police and local units to act under special conditions. Everyone remembers the situation of 2020 and the problems that arose in the region, including coordination between state bodies,” the Interior Ministry press service quoted him as saying.
He recalled Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s demand to prevent a repeat of such events and instructed officials to stop “any threats at an early stage and act proactively.”
“We must be ready for any scenario and clearly and cohesively carry out the tasks facing the security bloc. This applies to all areas: countering mass unrest and freeing seized buildings. Today we will work through many different scenarios, determine the necessary calculations, and assess responses to simulated situations such as the seizure of a shopping center, street blockades, and mass unrest,” he said.
Kubrakou also stressed the inadmissibility of violence against security personnel.
“As soon as we see a violation of the law, the response must be immediate! Under no circumstances should any pressure on officers be allowed. We must use our full potential, which we have in sufficient measure. In 2020, only one-third of available resources were used. Everyone must understand — we will act decisively,” he said.
He instructed that duty units of the anti-terrorism special unit “Almaz” and the internal troops’ special purpose unit “Berkut” be put on alert, equipped for clearing a shopping center and operating at height.
The minister summed up the theoretical phase of the exercises, set tasks for the practical stage, and criticized a number of local officials, ordering them to revise and recheck existing action plans for special conditions.