By Kyle Mizokami
The commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe claims that Russia broke longstanding rules on military exercises to avoid outside inspections. Gen. Ben Hodges said that the Zapad-17 exercises, held earlier this month Belarus and Russia, should have outside overside but didn't because Russia rigged the numbers.
Most European countries (and the United States) are members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The OSCE was established in 1994, designed to coordinate security, arms control, terrorism, and even human trafficking efforts. A major part of the OSCE is the so-called Vienna Document of 2011, which covers military exercises. Countries can stage military exercises that are as big as they want, but in exercises involving more than 13,000 troops, 300 tanks, 500 ACVs, or 250 pieces of artillery, they must invite other OSCE members to observe the exercises.Russia has claimed that the Zapad-17 exercises, held between September 14-20, involved only 12,700 troops, meaning it doesn't have to invite OSCE observers. Belarus, which is co-hosting the exercise, claims that Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, and Norway were voluntarily invited to the exercise. (Pointedly, invitations were not extended to the other 48 OSCE members.)
Hodges claims that Russia skirted the rules for Zapad-17 by breaking it up into smaller exercises, concealing the true number, which he estimates at approximately 40,000. This is not the first time Russia has done this, either. Zapad-13 in 2013 was officially pegged at 12,000 troops, but the true number was thought to be between 90,000 and 100,000.
Hodges has stated there is "nothing evil" about the Zapad exercises. Rather, in his mind the problem is that the Russians are refusing to abide by the rules of transparency. This makes maintaining confidence building and openness among OSCE states, a key plank of the entire organization, difficult to maintain.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/news/a28490/us-general-russia-cheated-at-exercise-inspection-rules/
