Eagle Assault 2024: New Details on China-Belarus Exercises Near NATO Border

Following the initiation of eleven day military exercises between the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the Belarusian Armed Forces, new details regarding the scope of the drills have been revealed by local sources in Belarus. Named Eagle Assault 2024, the exercises in the Brest region are taking place less than 5 kilometres from the borders of Poland - one of NATO’s easternmost members. While the ground forces of both countries have been involved in multilateral exercises in the past, and Belarusian forces have participated in exercises in China, this represents the first deployment of Chinese ground forces for exercises in Belarus, bringing them unprecedentedly close to NATO territory. The exercises have reportedly been planned for 11 months, since Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu visited Minsk on August 16 for a three day official visit. The Chinese Defence Ministry reported Eagle Assault drills  were conducted according to “an annual plan and consensus,” elaborating: “The joint training aims to enhance the coordination capabilities of the participating troops and deepen practical cooperation between the two armies.” They included “anti-terrorist training” and tasks such as hostage rescue. 

According to the Belarusian Defence Ministry, the exercises prepared forces for river crossings, urban warfare, and even airborne assaults, raising the possibility that the Chinese Y-20 strategic airlifter deployed to the country may have participated. The chief of the Belarusian Armed Forces special operations command Vadzim Dzenisenka elaborated regarding the need for such exercises: “The situation in the world is difficult, and so we are practicing new forms and methods of solving tactical tasks.” Belarus has seen tensions rise in recent months with both Ukraine and with Poland, while relations with Western Bloc states more broadly have been in decline since 2020 when countries across the Western world were accused of supporting protests and riots to overthrow the Belarusian government. Belarusian-Chinese exercises began just a day before the NATO summit in Washington. which started on July 9, and just days after Minsk joined the Chinese-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization as its first, and likely its last, European member. Exercises by Chinese forces in the country have been interpreted by a number of analysts as intended to send a signal to Western Bloc states of Beijing’s support for Minsk, and by extension for Moscow, should NATO members escalate hostilities in the face of mounting losses in Ukraine.