Belarusian hunters to be used for sniper cover

Skills, equipment and weapons of hunters can be used in the interests of territorial defense, the chairman of the Belarusian Society of Hunters and Fishermen Ihar Shunevich said in a ONT TV broadcast.

Earlier, it was reported that hunters were about to be enlisted in the militia. However, Shunevich clarified: "Not the militia, but territorial defense, because it's a more specialized and narrowly focused military formation with specific tasks. It probably has more serious capabilities than the people's militia."

Shunevich said that hunters could be used as possible sniper cover. "They could also be used to guard facilities, repel attacks by sabotage and reconnaissance groups, etc. There is a wide range of applications, based on the skills, knowledge and abilities that we have, and, of course, readiness," the head of the agency said.

He said that Belarusians have about 100 thousand hunting weapons. According to Shunevich, this is the average European level of militarization, but lower than in Germany, Italy, Spain and even Russia.

Ihar Shunevich was Minister of Internal Affairs in 2012-2019.