---
title: "Belarus Conducts Four-Day Exercises Near the Suwałki Corridor: What Is Known About the Maneuvers Close to NATO Borders"
description: "From September 15–18, Belarus is holding four-day exercises near the borders with Poland and Lithuania, including ranges close to the Suwałki Corridor. Minsk claims the maneuvers are defensive in nature but has not disclosed the exact number of troops."
date: 2026-09-16T23:26:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/belarus-exercises-suwalki-corridor-nato-borders
tags: [belarus, nato, suwalki-corridor, military-exercises, poland, lithuania, lukashenko]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Belarus Conducts Four-Day Exercises Near the Suwałki Corridor: What Is Known About the Maneuvers Close to NATO Borders

![Soldiers in camouflage and helmets during Belarus military exercises near the Suwalki Gap](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/17/belarus-ucheniya-suvalkskij-koridor-granicy-nato/belarus-ucheniya-suvalkskij-koridor-granicy-nato-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Four-day exercises in Belarus run from September 15 to 18 at the Goha, Brest, and Ruzhany ranges near the borders with Poland and Lithuania.
- Part of the maneuvers is taking place near the Suwałki Corridor — the only land link between the Baltic states and NATO.
- Minsk claims a defensive character for the exercises and compliance with the thresholds of the 2011 Vienna Document, but has not disclosed the exact number of troops and equipment.

Four-day military exercises have begun in Belarus, taking place in close proximity to the borders with Poland and Lithuania. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing The Moscow Times, the maneuvers run from September 15 to 18 and cover several training ranges, including those located near the strategically important Suwałki Corridor. Units of the Western Operational Command have been drawn into the exercises, including mechanized and tank battalions. As of the time of publication, on September 17, the maneuvers are on the third of four days.

### Scale and Geography of the Maneuvers

Practical troop actions are concentrated on several sites. The key one is the Goha range in the Grodno Region, located directly on the border with Lithuania. In addition, the military are training at the Brest and Ruzhany ranges, which, according to the report, are located approximately 15 and 60 kilometers from the Polish border, respectively. Part of the maneuvers is taking place near the Suwałki Corridor — a section of the Polish-Lithuanian border about 104 km long, which is the only land link between the Baltic states and the rest of NATO territory and lies between Belarus and the Russian Kaliningrad Region.

### Objectives and Stated Nature of the Exercises

According to the Belarusian Ministry of Defense, during the maneuvers the servicemen are practicing the protection of the state border, countermeasures against sabotage groups, as well as actions to repel attacks by drones and light aircraft. The ministry emphasizes that the exercises are of an "exclusively defensive" character. At the same time, Minsk asserts that the number of troops and equipment involved does not exceed the threshold values set by the 2011 Vienna Document, above which prior notification to other states is required.

### Contradictory Data

A significant discrepancy is noted here. On the one hand, the Belarusian ministry claims a strictly defensive character of the maneuvers and compliance with the thresholds of the 2011 Vienna Document. On the other hand, Minsk does not disclose the exact number of military personnel and equipment units involved in the exercises, which makes it impossible to independently verify compliance with the stated thresholds. Thus, the public version of "not exceeding the limits" rests solely on the statement of the side conducting the maneuvers and is not supported by open data on the size and composition of the forces.

### Strategic Context and Background

The exercises are taking place against the backdrop of heightened attention to the security of NATO's eastern flank and the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine. In recent years, Belarus has regularly conducted military maneuvers near the borders of NATO countries, with Russian servicemen often taking part in previous exercises. Earlier, Alexander Lukashenko stated that preparations were underway for a large-scale check of the combat readiness of the armed forces, which could involve the entire army and provide for mobilization measures, noting: "I have already said it in plain terms: the army needs to be shaken up, it's time." According to reports, on August 26 the head of state ordered a check of the combat readiness of the Belarusian army; as Alexander Volkovich, Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus, reported, one of the reasons cited in Minsk for this decision was the visit to Moscow by the Director of the U.S. CIA, John Ratcliffe.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Belarus has massed troops near the Suwałki Corridor: what is known](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/bilorus-styagnula-viyska-suvalskogo-koridoru-1789592818.html) - Основной источник: даты учений 15–18 сентября, полигоны Гожа/Брест/Ружаны, задачи, заявленный оборонительный характер и порогов Венского документа.
- [Exercises in the Suwałki Corridor area. Belarus has transferred troops and equipment to the borders with Poland and ...](https://strana.news/news/512372-belarus-stjanula-vojska-dlja-uchenij-v-rajone-suvalkskoho-koridora.html) - Подтверждает переброску войск и техники к границам Польши и Литвы в районе Сувалкского коридора.
- [Belarus has concentrated troops on NATO's borders](https://24tv.ua/ru/belarus-perebrosila-vojska-v-suvalkskij-koridor-podrobnosti-uchenij-lukashenko_n3143499) - Подтверждает сосредоточение войск у границ НАТО и контекст заявлений Лукашенко о проверке боевой готовности.
- [Belarus has massed troops and equipment near the Suwałki Corridor for exercises close to NATO borders](https://news.am/ru/news/1062139) - Подтверждает географию маневров вблизи Сувалкского коридора и границ НАТО.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: When and where are the exercises in Belarus taking place?
**A:** The exercises run from September 15 to 18 and are being held at the Goha range (Grodno Region, on the border with Lithuania), Brest (about 15 km from the Polish border), and Ruzhany (about 60 km from the Polish border), as well as near the Suwałki Corridor.

### Q: What objectives are the troops being given?
**A:** According to the Belarusian Ministry of Defense, the servicemen are practicing border protection, countermeasures against sabotage groups, and repelling attacks by drones and light aircraft.

### Q: How large-scale are the maneuvers?
**A:** Minsk does not disclose the exact number of servicemen and equipment. The ministry asserts that the numbers do not exceed the thresholds of the 2011 Vienna Document, which require prior notification.

### Q: Why is the Suwałki Corridor important?
**A:** It is a section of the Polish-Lithuanian border about 104 km long, serving as the only land link between the Baltic states and the rest of NATO territory; it lies between Belarus and the Russian Kaliningrad Region.