Vitebsk widely celebrated the 70th anniversary of the 103rd Guards Separate Mobile Brigade of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus

The celebrations were attended by heads of the region and the city, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, veterans of the unit, and delegations from Russia and Ukraine.

Participants of the celebrations honored the memory of the fallen internationalist soldiers at the monument "Pain". They laid flowers at the memorial plaque of the legendary commander of the Airborne Forces of the USSR, Army General Vasily Margelov. A memorial plaque was also unveiled on the building of the former headquarters of the artillery regiment on Titov Street.

The main events took place at the brigade's location. At a solemn rally, the Chief of the General Staff – First Deputy Minister of Defense of Belarus, Major General Oleg Belokonev, congratulated the veterans and the personnel on the significant date and emphasized that the 103rd Guards Mobile Brigade is one of the best units of the Armed Forces, whose servicemen preserve the traditions of their predecessors and make a significant contribution to maintaining peace on Belarusian soil. The Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Vladimir Terentyev, congratulated the attendees on behalf of the authorities and read out the governor's congratulatory address. The Commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus, Major General Vadim Denisenko, stressed that 2014 was a challenging year for the brigade, but the servicemen honorably completed all the tasks set before them and reported with dignity to the President of the country during his visit to the unit. The Commander of the Airborne Forces of Russia, Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov, said that the airborne brotherhood in the post-Soviet space will never be canceled and thanked for preserving and multiplying traditions. He also noted that over the past three years, the Russian Airborne Forces and the Belarusian Special Operations Forces have held more than 30 joint events in various climatic conditions. An unprecedented joint exercise is planned for next year – a search and rescue operation with airborne landing at the North Pole.

By order of the Minister of Defense of Belarus, Major General Andrei Ravkov, for significant contribution to military-patriotic education, Lieutenant Colonel of the reserve Valerian Matskevich, Chairman of the regional organization of the Belarusian Union of War Veterans in Afghanistan, and Major General of the reserve Alexander Skachkov were awarded valuable gifts. For diligence and distinction in service, Colonel Vladimir Bely, commander of the Guards Brigade, was recognized with a commendation and a valuable gift. In addition, several dozen servicemen of the unit were commended.

Then, demonstration performances by the freelance honor guard company and the military band took place. A modern battle using the latest equipment was presented, and episodes from the unit's combat path were reconstructed. One of the most spectacular moments of the celebration was the performance by the unit's personnel, lined up in the shape of the heraldic sign-emblem of the special operations forces, of the song “Nobody but us!”.

Sergey Lyashuk, "Vitebskiye Vesti"