"Russia versus... Belarus?" Topic

The Military Police of the Republic of Belarus cannot restrain the inappropriate behaviour of Russians. In particular, the reports submitted by senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus based on the complaints of their rank-and-file soldiers indicate disparaging expressions and behaviour by Russians towards Belarusians. In particular, they use insults based on ethnic characteristics. The number of such incidents is growing rapidly, leading to an uncontrolled escalation of tensions in Belarus.

The Russians in Belarus are also said to be sick due to unhygienic camp conditions.

Ukrainian Pravda: link

Has there ever been a government/people so certain of themselves that while digging their own grave think they're actually mountain climbing?

Not entirely a rhtorical question. If anyone can cite another or better example, I'd love to read it.

TVAG

"ethnic characteristice" ?

As in "bleeding jocks"/"effing sassenachs."

Given one of the purported reasons that Lukashenko hasn't joined in the invasion is because the Belarusian army is unreliable, and with active campaigns of sabotage going on, this would seem a great way to dial tensions up to a point where people start to point guns at each other. There has also been some suggestion that the Belarusian military is being used to pick up the slack (there's an understatement!) in training the newly mobilised so they are probably in proximity to one another. Also, there were the reported incidents between Russian's and Separatist's earlier in the year. The Russian's would seem to have previous for kicking off with their own allies!

Has there ever been a government/people so certain of themselves that while digging their own grave think they're actually mountain climbing?

Prior to the Tet Offensive, the US army was given a policy that any reports of enemy (NVA/VC) troops had the caveat that this did not increase the enemy's total strength, while the "body count" reduced the reported strength – making something like the Tet offensive impossible. The Tet offensive was a military failure but a political victory. Fooling yourself does not end well.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

The Tet offensive was a military failure but a political victory.

Very true … The US troops on the ground & in the air did their jobs. They won the victory that significantly attrited the VC/NVA. As they could not go on the offensive until '72, The Year of The Rat.

Regardless, what the media said.

disparaging expressions and behaviour by Russians towards Belarusians. In particular, they use insults based on ethnic characteristics.

My understanding is that there is a long tradition in Russia on seeing Belorussians and Ukrainians as somewhat inferior "lesser Russians".

Considering that the man at the top in Kremlin seems to subscribe to this way of thinking (e.g. by claiming that Ukrainians do not have "the right to exists as a nation" and being interested in bringing Belarus and Ukraine under Russian control), it should not be a surprise that some of the grunts on the ground have adopted similar approaches. Not likely to endear them to the local population in Belarus – especially as the Russian military discipline in general seems to leave a bit to be desired.

And any war crimes they commit will probably go unpunished. Unless they get killed in combat.