This conclusion follows logically from the experience of the similar exercise Echelon-2022 in Kazakhstan.
“In the Republic of Belarus, we plan to conduct joint and special exercises: “Interaction-2023” with tasks to resolve a crisis situation in the Eastern European region; an exercise with reconnaissance forces “Search-2023”; an exercise with logistics forces “Echelon-2023” and an exercise with a joint CBRN protection and medical support formation “Barrier-2023”. – Anatoly Sidorov, Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, said on February 14, 2023.
Apparently, the stories of the “rail partisans” played no small part and raised concerns that such actions could be repeated.
Here, of course, everything is on a larger scale: they plan to practice larger-scale scenarios of possible sabotage with destroyed railway tracks and burning equipment. To deal with the aftermath, they will use a fire train and a 150-tonne crane on a rail chassis to unload military equipment from the railcars quickly. After the military vehicles cross the destroyed section of track under their own power, they will probably be loaded again using special ramp devices (SRMA*).
We have reported before that training for similar “scenarios”, even outside military exercises, has recently become the norm on the Belarusian Railway: sometimes using SRMA, sometimes simulating passenger car fires.
Undoubtedly, all these activities on the railway are accompanied by heightened safety measures and security.
*SRMA – a device for loading and unloading all types of equipment “under its own power” onto/from a flatcar at any location, including unprepared sites on line sections.
