According to some Belarus military analysts today’s sudden dismissal by president Alyaksandr Lukashenka of the country’s defense minister may be tied to anxieties about the country’s military readiness.
According to Lukashenka’s press office General Yury Zhadobin, 60, was transferred from active to reserve military service for age reasons.
But according to former police general and parliamentary speaker Miachaslau Hryb the age reasons are just a pretext and the opaque character of the Belarus government prevents the public from knowing the truth.
«Age can’t be the reason for the dismissal,» said Hryb, but «we’ll never get any explanations from official organs. We’ve all become inured to that reality.»
Military analyst Alyaksandr Alesin believes that Zhadobin’s dismissal may be attributed to the fact that he failed to reform the Belarusian military and modernize its arsenal of weapons.
«The Ukraine scenario may have led Lukashenko to believe that a failure to modernize the country’s military may make it vulnerable during critical moments,» said Alesin.
Alesin believes the dismissal is evidence that Lukashenka has taken a course toward modernization of the Belarusian military and upgrading of existing weaponry.
