Belarus plans more than 1,000 people's militia detachments in all regions, STV reports
In short
Belarusian state channel STV reported on 21 October that more than 1,000 people's militia detachments are planned across all regions of Belarus. Ruslan Mamedov of the Interior Ministry said on air that citizens, foreigners and stateless residents can volunteer. Russian outlets Interfax, RBC, TASS and Kommersant carried the report.
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More than 1,000 people's militia detachments will be created in all regions of Belarus, the state television channel STV reported on 21 October, according to Interfax and RBC. TASS headlined its report "STV: creation of more than 1,000 people's militia detachments is planned in Belarus" and said their main task is to help protect a given settlement when it is in danger. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Interfax quoted the STV report as saying that the creation of more than a thousand detachments is planned in the country, and that the practical training of volunteers is continuous. During exercises, the militia fighters practise countering saboteurs and guarding residential blocks, and learn to handle weapons and drones, the report said. [ 1 , 4 ]
Ruslan Mamedov, head of the Interior Ministry's department for mobilisation preparation and territorial and civil defence, spoke on the channel about who can join. He said volunteers may be enrolled from among citizens of Belarus, foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently living in Belarus who are able, by their personal qualities and state of health, to carry out the militia's tasks. According to Interfax, he added that territorial internal affairs bodies directly lead the detachments when they perform their tasks. [ 1 , 4 ]
Kommersant presented the plan as Mamedov's statement, with his words cited by STV. Interfax placed the plan in the STV report and quoted Mamedov separately on enrolment and leadership. [ 1 , 4 ]
Interfax noted that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had earlier set the task of developing the people's militia, saying that "every village council should have a people's militia detachment". Kommersant wrote that last week Lukashenko said the network of detachments should be expanded so that people could defend themselves in wartime. The documents give no dates for forming the detachments and no estimate of how many people they would include. [ 1 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The documents present the plan as a follow-up to President Alexander Lukashenko's call to develop the people's militia. They give no figures on membership or timing, so the practical scale is not yet clear.
Key facts
- More than 1,000 people's militia detachments are planned in all regions of Belarus, according to the state channel STV. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Ruslan Mamedov, head of the Interior Ministry's department for mobilisation preparation and territorial and civil defence, spoke on STV. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Volunteers can be enrolled from Belarusian citizens, foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently living in Belarus who are fit by personal qualities and health. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Territorial internal affairs bodies directly lead the detachments when they carry out tasks. [ 1 ]
- In exercises the militia practises countering saboteurs, guarding residential areas, handling weapons and using drones. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Lukashenko earlier said there should be a militia detachment in every village council. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- More than 1,000 people's militia detachments are planned across all regions of Belarus, as reported by STV and relayed by Interfax, RBC, TASS and Kommersant. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Volunteers training is continuous, and exercises cover countering saboteurs, guarding residential blocks, weapons handling and drones. [ 1 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- When the detachments are to be formed and how many people they will include. The available documents give no timetable or membership numbers.
- Who made the statement on the plan for more than 1,000 detachments. Interfax attributes the quoted passage to an STV report, while Kommersant attributes the plan to Mamedov, with his words cited by STV.