Western Operational Command (Belarus)
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= Western Operational Command
|image= Belarus Western Operational Command Insignia.png
|dates= 2001–present
|country= {{flag|Belarus}}
|branch= Belarus Ground Forces
|type= Command
|garrison= Grodno
|commander1= Vadzim Suray{{Cite web |title=Белы Уладзімір Уладзіміравіч — Ваенны інфармацыйны партал Міністэрства абароны Рэспублікі Беларусь |url=https://www.mil.by/by/forces/sv/zok/5542/ |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=www.mil.by}}
|comander1_label = Commander
|commander2_label= Chief of staff
|commander2= Colonel Alyaksandr Laurenov{{Cite web |title=Лаўрэнаў Аляксандр Аляксандравіч — Ваенны інфармацыйны партал Міністэрства абароны Рэспублікі Беларусь |url=https://www.mil.by/by/forces/sv/zok/5544/ |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=www.mil.by}}
|notable_commanders= Colonel Viktor Khrenin
}}
File:Armed Forces of Belarus in 2021 (en).png
The Western Operational Command (ZOK) is a command of the Belarus Ground Forces. It is headquartered in Grodno. It is composed of two Mechanized Brigades and an artillery brigade. The command was created in 2001 from the 28th Army Corps, the former 28th Army. {{Cite web|url=http://www.mil.by/ru/forces/sv/zok/|title=Западное оперативное командование|website=www.mil.by|publisher=Ministry of Defense of Belarus|language=Russian|trans-title=Western Operational Command|accessdate=2015-12-28}}
History
The Western Operational Command traces its lineage back to the Soviet 28th Army. In July 1945, the 28th Army headquarters was relocated to Grodno. By 1988, the army was composed of the 6th Guards Tank Division, 28th Tank Division, 50th Guards Motor Rifle Division and the 514th Territorial Training Center. On 20 March 1992, the army was taken over by Belarus.{{Cite web|title = 28th Combined Arms Army|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/armies/28oa.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|accessdate = 2015-12-28|last = Holm|first = Michael}} In 1993, the 28th Army was downsized to become the 28th Army Corps. In 1994, the 50th Division became a separate mechanized brigade, and was further reduced to a storage base in 2001, then finally disbanded in 2006.{{Cite news|url=https://news.tut.by/society/71836.html|title=В Бресте с расформированной 50-й БХВТ ушла последняя техника|work=TUT.BY|access-date=2017-05-28|language=ru-RU}} The Western Operational Command was created in December 2001 from the 28th Army Corps. It participated in the exercises "Neman-2001", "Berezina-2002", "Chistoye Nebo-2003", "Shchit Otechestva-2004", "Shchit Soyuza-2006", "Zapad-2009", "Shchit Soyuza-2011" and the joint strategic exercises with Russian military units "Zapad-2013".{{Cite web|title = ЗАПАДНОМУ ОПЕРАТИВНОМУ КОМАНДОВАНИЮ — 72! {{!}} Во славу Родины – Свежий выпуск|url = http://vsr.mil.by/2014/09/05/zapadnomu-operativnomu-komandovaniyu-72/|website = vsr.mil.by|accessdate = 2015-12-28|trans-title = Western Operational Command – 72! {{!}} To the glory of the motherland – Fresh release|language = Russian}}{{Cite web|title = Западное оперативное командование Вооружённых сил Республики Беларусь|url = http://www.ctv.by/zapadnoe-operativnoe-komandovanie-vooruzhyonnyh-sil-respubliki-belarus|website = НОВОСТИ (Novosti)|accessdate = 2015-12-28|trans-title = Western Operational Command of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus|language = Russian}} In 2015, Colonel Viktor Hrenin (former deputy commander of the command){{Cite web|title = Reshuffles in Belarus army|url = http://euroradio.fm/en/reshuffles-belarus-army|website = euroradio.fm| date=7 July 2014 |accessdate = 2015-12-28}} became the command's head and Colonel Oleg Melnikov was appointed chief of staff of the command.
Formations and units
The command is composed of the following units.{{Cite web|url=http://belarmy.by/istoria-belarusi/zapadnoe-operativnoe-komandovanie|title=Западное оперативное командование|date=14 March 2011|website=belarmy.by|language=Russian|trans-title=Western Operational Command|accessdate=2015-12-28}}
- 6th Guards Kiev-Berlin Mechanized Brigade (Grodno; former 6th Guards Tank Division){{Cite web|title = 6th Guards Tank Division|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/td/6gvtd.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-10|last = Holm|first = Michael}}
- 11th Guards Berlin-Carpathian Mechanized Brigade (Slonim)
- 111th Artillery Brigade (Brest)
- 62nd Antiaircraft Missile Brigade – equipped with 9K33 Osa SAM
- 215th Separate Radio Engineering Regiment
- 36th Separate Radio Battalion
- 255th Separate Radio Engineering Regiment of Special Purpose (Novogrudok; ELINT)
- 557th Engineer Regiment (Grodno)
- 74th Berlin Separate Communications Regiment (Grodno)
- 815th Logistics Center (Baranovichi)
- 28th Weapons and Equipment Storage Base (Baranovichi; former 28th Tank Division){{Cite web|title = 28th Tank Division|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/td/28td.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-10|last = Holm|first = Michael}}
- 50th Donetsk Weapons and Equipment Storage Base (Brest; former 50th Guards Motor Rifle Division, disbanded 2006){{Cite web|title = 50th Guards Motorised Rifle Division|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/msd/50gvmsd.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-10|last = Holm|first = Michael}}
- 108th Separate Material Security Regiment
Leadership
=Commanders=
- Major General Aleksandr Pashukevich (?-4 October 2012){{Cite web |title=Игорь Демиденко назначен командующим войсками Северо-западного оперативно-тактического командования ВВС и войск ПВО {{!}} Официальный интернет-портал Президента Республики Беларусь |url=https://president.gov.by/ru/events/igor-demidenko-naznachen-komanduyushchim-voyskami-severo-zapadnogo-operativno-takticheskogo-komandovaniya-vvs-4190 |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=president.gov.by}}
- Major General Igor Demidenko (4 October 2012-?){{Cite web |title=Игорь Демиденко назначен командующим войсками Северо-западного оперативно-тактического командования ВВС и войск ПВО {{!}} Официальный интернет-портал Президента Республики Беларусь |url=https://president.gov.by/ru/events/igor-demidenko-naznachen-komanduyushchim-voyskami-severo-zapadnogo-operativno-takticheskogo-komandovaniya-vvs-4190 |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=president.gov.by}}
- Colonel Andrey Gurtsevich (?-15 January 2015){{Cite web |title=Кадровые перестановки в Вооруженных Силах {{!}} Официальный интернет-портал Президента Республики Беларусь |url=https://president.gov.by/ru/events/kadrovye-perestanovki-v-vooruzhennyx-silax-10660 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250129233331/https://president.gov.by/ru/events/kadrovye-perestanovki-v-vooruzhennyx-silax-10660 |archive-date=2025-01-29 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=president.gov.by |language=ru}}
- Major General Alexander Volfovich (15 January 2015-2018){{Cite web |title=Кадровые перестановки в Вооруженных Силах {{!}} Официальный интернет-портал Президента Республики Беларусь |url=https://president.gov.by/ru/events/kadrovye-perestanovki-v-vooruzhennyx-silax-10660 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250129233331/https://president.gov.by/ru/events/kadrovye-perestanovki-v-vooruzhennyx-silax-10660 |archive-date=2025-01-29 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=president.gov.by |language=ru}}
- Colonel Uladzimir Bely (30 March 2023 - 11 September 2024){{Cite web |title=Владимир Белый назначен командующим войсками Западного оперативного командования ВС {{!}} Официальный интернет-портал Президента Республики Беларусь |url=https://president.gov.by/ru/events/vladimir-belyy-naznachen-komanduyushchim-voyskami-zapadnogo-operativnogo-komandovaniya-vooruzhennyh-sil |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=president.gov.by}}{{Cite web |title=Генерал-майор Вадим Суров простился с Боевым Знаменем 72 ОУЦ — ВАЯР |url=https://vayar.mil.by/news/173818/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=vayar.mil.by}}
- Major General Vadzim Suray (since 11 September 2024){{Cite web |title=Ваенны інфармацыйны партал Міністэрства абароны Рэспублікі Беларусь |url=https://www.mil.by/by/forces/sv/zok/command/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=www.mil.by}}{{Cite web |title=Генерал-майор Вадим Суров простился с Боевым Знаменем 72 ОУЦ — ВАЯР |url=https://vayar.mil.by/news/173818/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=vayar.mil.by}}
=Chiefs of Staff - First Deputy Commanders=
=Deputy Commanders=
- Colonel Vadim Denisenko (?-11 January 2014){{Cite web |title=Генерал-майор Олег Белоконев назначен начальником Генерального штаба Вооруженных Сил – первым заместителем Министра обороны {{!}} Официальный интернет-портал Президента Республики Беларусь |url=https://president.gov.by/ru/events/general-major-olega-belokonev-naznachen-nachalnikom-generalnogo-shtaba-vooruzhennyx-sil-pervym-zamestitelem-7803 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=president.gov.by}}
- Igor Demidenko (?-7 June 2020){{Cite web |title=Александр Лукашенко провел кадровые перестановки в руководстве Вооруженных Сил {{!}} Официальный интернет-портал Президента Республики Беларусь |url=https://president.gov.by/ru/events/aleksandr-lukashenko-provel-kadrovye-perestanovki-v-rukovodstve-vooruzhennyh-sil |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250129225310/https://president.gov.by/ru/events/aleksandr-lukashenko-provel-kadrovye-perestanovki-v-rukovodstve-vooruzhennyh-sil |archive-date=2025-01-29 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=president.gov.by |language=ru}}
- Alyaksandr Bas (7 June 2020- 12 January 2023){{Cite web |title=Александр Лукашенко провел кадровые перестановки в руководстве Вооруженных Сил {{!}} Официальный интернет-портал Президента Республики Беларусь |url=https://president.gov.by/ru/events/aleksandr-lukashenko-provel-kadrovye-perestanovki-v-rukovodstve-vooruzhennyh-sil |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250129225310/https://president.gov.by/ru/events/aleksandr-lukashenko-provel-kadrovye-perestanovki-v-rukovodstve-vooruzhennyh-sil |archive-date=2025-01-29 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=president.gov.by |language=ru}}{{Cite web |title=Бас Александр Иванович — Военный информационный портал Министерства обороны Республики Беларусь |url=https://www.mil.by/ru/forces/sv/szok/5566/ |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=www.mil.by}}{{Cite web |title=Александр Бас назначен начальником главного управления боевой подготовки Вооруженных Сил {{!}} Официальный интернет-портал Президента Республики Беларусь |url=https://president.gov.by/ru/events/aleksandr-bas-naznachen-nachalnikom-glavnogo-upravleniya-boevoy-podgotovki-vooruzhennyh-sil |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=president.gov.by |language=ru}}
- Colonel Dzimitriy Bitny (12 January 2023-present){{Cite web |title=Бітны Дзмітрый Віктаравіч — Ваенны інфармацыйны партал Міністэрства абароны Рэспублікі Беларусь |url=https://www.mil.by/by/forces/sv/zok/5549/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=www.mil.by}}