According to information at our disposal, the military transportation authorities (VOSO) of Belarus and Russia, with the participation of the Belarusian Railway (BCh), are currently actively cooperating on issues concerning the organization of the transfer of Russian military equipment, ammunition, and personnel by railway transport to the territory of our country.
In the coming weeks, the so-called active phase of military transport will begin as part of the joint exercises ‘Zapad-2025' — specifically, the dispatch of troop trains from Russian Railways (RZD) formation and loading stations to Belarusian Railway (BCh) stations.
Indirect confirmation of the increased activity, and consequently, the start of measures for organizing and conducting military transportation, is the heightened level of information exchange between the aforementioned agencies of both countries.
Furthermore, military personnel from the Department of Transport Support of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus (Military Transportation Directorate) have frequently held meetings at the Belarusian Railway Directorate and visited sites of direct transportation process management to carry out all necessary preparatory measures.
It should be noted that the intensification of cooperation between the Belarusian Railway and the Ministry of Defence of Belarus, including frequent visits for joint meetings at the Belarusian Railway Directorate and/or the Transportation Management Center (TMC), always precedes mass military transportation.
And such measures as station preparation, including:
- joint inspection of unloading (loading) sites by a commission including officials from Belarusian Railway divisions and Military Transportation (VOSO) commandants' offices;
- if necessary — repair of loading and unloading platforms;
- preparation of road access to loading and unloading areas at stations;
- checking the serviceability of communication equipment at unloading (loading) stations for operational management of military transportation;
- allocation of railway transport employees to organize the passage of equipment through railway level crossings and provide them with communication means;
as well as provision of rolling stock, namely:
- determining the suitability of freight railcars planned for international use in accordance with the requirements;
- implementing measures to accelerate the repair of rolling stock;
- selection of freight railcars with the conclusion of lease and service agreements;
organization of troop train movement and shunting operations at stations, in particular:
- assignment of shunting locomotives to unloading stations;
- development of troop train timetables for the Belarusian Railway;
- allocation of the necessary number of locomotive crews for accelerated movement of trains;
as well as the organization of interaction with the Central Directorate for Traffic Management — a branch of Russian Railways (RZD) (CD) on issues of approving the procedure for the operational return of empty rolling stock to the Russian Federation — have already been implemented by now.
Given that the approximate dates for the joint military exercises ‘Zapad-2021' and the upcoming ‘Zapad-2025' generally coincide, it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that the timetables for troop trains on Belarusian Railway have already been developed and approved by both the Belarusian and Russian sides.
This fact indicates that the transport operations themselves should begin “any day now” — within the next week.
Currently, there is no reliable information on the volumes and timelines of these transport operations, but data on the previous such “event” in 2021 are represented by the following figures:
- The total number of railcars loaded at Russian stations and delivered to Belarusian Railway stations was 1,286 units. In total, 100 passenger coaches for personnel transport of the Russian Armed Forces, 1,094 flatcars for equipment transportation, 88 boxcars, half of which — 44 units — carried explosive materials (VM), as well as 4 gondola cars, all used for transporting explosive materials, were involved.
- The loading of troop trains at Russian stations Ilyino, Nara, Pochinki, Rostov-Yaroslavsky, Seletino, Cherekha, Shchelkovo took place from July 20 to August 19, 2021.
- The arrival of all troop trains at Belarusian Railway stations Brest-Yuzhny, Lesnaya, Polonka, where their unloading and subsequent return of railcars occurred, was carried out between July 22 and August 21, 2021.
Key points of the speech by Acting Head of the Military Transportation Directorate, Sergei Sergeyevich Gudyma, on the organization of military transportation in July-September 2021:
Materials for the meeting with the Deputy Head of Belarusian Railway, Andrei Lvovich Yakobson, on the organization of military transport during the ‘Zapad-2021' exercises and proposals for the resolution part of the meeting minutes on the organization of military transport during the exercises:
Slides for the meeting on the organization of military transportation by railway transport:
Plan for the meeting and list of participants for the meeting on the organization of military transport during the ‘Zapad-2021' exercises:
Timetable for troop trains of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (arrival in Belarus) as part of the ‘Zapad-2021' exercises:
Composition and target journey times of troop trains as part of the ‘Zapad-2021' exercises:
Letter from the Military Transport Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus to Belarusian Railway regarding the development of timetables for troop trains for the return of the Russian contingent to the Russian Federation as part of the ‘Zapad-2021' exercises:
Timetable for troop trains of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (departure of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation contingent back to the Russian Federation) as part of the ‘Zapad-2021' exercises:
The average delivery time for one troop train to a Belarusian Railway unloading station was approximately two days.
Returning to the upcoming military transport events, it should be noted that official statements by representatives of the Belarusian authorities indicate that the locations for the joint Belarusian-Russian strategic exercises ‘Zapad-2025' have been deliberately changed, with their relocation, where possible, away from the borders with neighboring countries — Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine. However, to date, no information about the exercise locations has been disclosed.
This decision is allegedly motivated by the Belarusian side's desire not to create tense situations in the border regions with the aforementioned countries.
Based on these statements, an assumption can be made about the locations of these exercises. Since a significant amount of equipment and personnel is expected to be involved, the use of large training grounds is quite justified. These could include the Lepel training ground, the 227th combined arms training ground, and the Repishche military training ground, which are located near the Belarusian Railway stations Zaslonovo, Borisov, and Osipovichi, respectively.
The location of these stations closer to the central part of Belarus fully aligns with the stated concept, according to which the Belarusian authorities seek “not to create tension” along state borders by conducting exercises.
Additionally, it is noted that the scale of these exercises will be significantly reduced, following the same goal of supposedly “not escalating the situation” — in fact, the number of troops involved will be approximately halved compared to past exercises and previously announced information.
