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Belarusian Special Forces Deploy Deep Into China for Urban Warfare Drills
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Servicemen from the Special Operations Forces of the Belarusian Armed Forces departed for China on August 10 to participate in the joint tactical exercise Rapid Eagle 2026.
The maneuvers are taking place at a People’s Liberation Army airborne training facility in Hubei province and will continue through August 24.
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Transporting the Belarusian contingent requires a total flight time of approximately 23 to 24 hours, involving intermediate refueling stops in Novosibirsk and Vladivostok.
The central focus of the exercise involves joint tactical operations in urban settings. Belarusian and Chinese personnel will focus on parachuting, operating unmanned aerial vehicles, counter-drone measures, joint drone assembly, live-fire training, and industrial and urban climbing techniques.
The maneuvers will progress through multiple stages, starting with arrival and weapon zeroing, moving to individual instruction and squad integration, and culminating in the formation of a combined unit to execute coordinated tactical missions.
This is not the first instance of joint military maneuvers between the two nations. In July 2024, Chinese units traveled to Belarus for exercises near Brest, situated roughly 210 kilometers from Warsaw and 65 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
That training occurred shortly after Belarus joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, following a joint media effort by Belarusian defense and border officials directed against Ukraine.
Prior to these exercises, Belarus also facilitated staging grounds used during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Previously, Belarus expanded the formation of the 37th Separate Air Assault Brigade under its Special Operations Forces, positioning the new unit near Gomel, approximately 40 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Officers were recruited, personnel were called up, and the first battalion was established, while additional combat-support, artillery, air defense, and reconnaissance units were scheduled for setup throughout 2026 ahead of the brigade's planned transfer to its permanent garrison in 2027.
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