July 25 (Reuters) - The Belarusian ministry of emergency situations is completing the arming and military training of its personnel to be ready to aid the defence and internal ministries in the event of an armed conflict, the head of the emergency ministry said on Monday.
Emergency Minister Vadim Sinyavsky told state Belarus 1 television that employees will be ready to assist the ministries "in the event of an armed conflict or some kind of riots in which a significant number of personnel must be involved."
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said earlier this year he wants "every man - and not only a man" to be able to at least handle weapons to respond to an act of aggression.
While not sending his own troops to Ukraine, Lukashenko allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory to launch its full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia and Belarus are linked in a partnership called the "union state" in which Moscow is by far the dominant player.
Persons:
Vadim Sinyavsky, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Lidia Kelly, Chris Reese
Organizations:
West, Thomson
Locations:
Belarusian, Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Kyiv, Melbourne